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Olmert orders Barak to act swiftly against Gaza rocket attacks
By Barak Ravid, Anshel Pfeffer and Avi Issacharoff, Haaretz Correspodnents, and Agencies
Tags: israel news, ehud olmert 

Prime Minister Ehud Olmert ordered Defense Minister Ehud Barak on Sunday to implement a military response to the ongoing rocket fire as soon as possible, in accordance with a cabinet decision taken last week.

"The cabinet decided that if the firing continues from the Gaza Strip, it will be met with a painful, harsh, strong and uncompromising response from the security forces," Olmert said at the start of the weekly cabinet meeting in Jerusalem.

Palestinians have launched more than 110 rockets and mortar shells at Israel since the military operation in Gaza ended in a cease-fire January 18, according to the IDF.
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Palestinians fired three Qassam rockets on Israel Sunday, which caused no injuries. They came on the heels of eight rockets fired on the south over the weekend, including a Qassam that exploded in an empty Ashkelon school yard and was classified by defense officials as an "improved" rocket.

Barak said the Israel Defense Forces was currently having difficulty operating because of the stormy weather.

In a meeting with Canadian Foreign Minister Lawrence Cannon, Olmert said the Palestinians in Gaza have not halted their fire, adding that if the violence doesn't stop, Israel will probably have to react with great intensity.

Meanwhile, former British prime minister Tony Blair toured Gaza Sunday for the first time since becoming the envoy of the Quartet for Mideast peace and called on Israel to end the blockade of the Strip as soon as possible. He said Gaza should receive all the goods it needs to recover from the Israeli offensive, not just food and oil.

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      1.   CASTING LEAD turned to MAJOR FAILURE 04:01  |  ART 02/03/09
      2.   What rockets? 04:18  |  Sens 02/03/09
      3.   All talk no action 04:31  |  baurat 02/03/09
      4.   OLMERDE , PUSH THE BOTTOM, BEFORE YOU GO 04:34  |  BOB KING 02/03/09
      5.   Response should be STRONG. It should be clear message to HAMAS 04:37  |  Vittorio 02/03/09
      6.   A Pal State that will provoke Cast Lead II, III, IV , V and so on 05:24  |  Joseph.E 02/03/09
      7.   Barak is no good,Mr. restraint has lost Israels deterence 05:56  |  bernard ross 02/03/09
      8.   The definition of insanity... 06:16  |  David 02/03/09
      9.   The blockade 06:21  |  David 02/03/09
      10.   hummm i wonder when dc and the rest will step in to say hault the 06:30  |  glenna 02/03/09
      11.   Time To Rid The Earth Of Hamas terrorist 06:57  |  Baruch Gold 02/03/09
      12.   Let`s make the rubble bounce some more!!! 07:42  |  Johnboy 02/03/09
      13.   if the firing continues from the Gaza Strip 07:45  |  vik 02/03/09
      14.   Orders to Respond to Rocket Fire 08:29  |  Fredy Ross 02/03/09
      15.   Do the USA a big favor 09:21  |  Nechama 02/03/09
      16.   Israeli kids paying the (education) price for Israels policies... 09:49  |  Swiss (Dino) 02/03/09
      17.   BARAK; "IDF HAVING DIFFICULTY 09:51  |  Robert 02/03/09
      18.   Barak Translation: No Op During Gaza Aid Summit & Clinton Visit 11:48  |  Ovadiah ben Avraham 02/03/09
      19.   act swiftly against Gaza 13:11  |  Akiva P 02/03/09
      20.   for 12 JOHNBOY 14:09  |  chasaboy 02/03/09
      21.   Olmert deflecting from his likely 14:17  |  Chris Linthwaite 02/03/09
      22.   #9 David 14:25  |  Moshe 02/03/09
      23.   Israel, stop killind gazans now 15:15  |  Dav 02/03/09
      24.   Who is fooling whome? 15:29  |  Sharona 02/03/09
      25.   Israel needs to go after Hamas leaders, not tunnels. 16:03  |  BF 02/03/09
      26.   wheather difficulty???????? 16:16  |  Sharona 02/03/09
      27.   #23 Dav from nowhere 17:32  |  Moshe 02/03/09
      28.   Uh oh, Israel`s going to threaten them to death 17:52  |  Jon 02/03/09
      29.   David of Boston.....In other words, make no concessions 18:02  |  Lynn 02/03/09
      30.   Difficulties with the "stormy weather"--? 18:15  |  Stephen. 02/03/09
      31.   Olmert is right 18:36  |  Brod 02/03/09
      32.   Blair did you mention anything about the rocket fire???? 19:05  |  r 02/03/09
      33.   Let them receive the donors money first ! 19:39  |  Akram Zekaria 02/03/09
      34.   inter-squabbling at the people`s expense 21:03  |  who runs the show? 02/03/09
      35.   didn,t Livni/barak/olmert gaurantee an end to rockets. 21:13  |  Labhras 02/03/09
      36.   #30..Stephen 21:27  |  Nemesis 02/03/09
      37.   To Chris - So You Are Saying... 21:47  |  Eli 02/03/09
      38.   #35 Labhras 22:25  |  Moshe 02/03/09
      39.   #37 Eli essentially yes 23:03  |  Chris Linthwaite 02/03/09
      40.   #39....Chris 23:22  |  Nemesis 02/03/09
      41.   #38 Moshe 23:33  |  Chris Linthwaite 02/03/09
      42.   Chris - Interesting But Many Things Still Missing 00:17  |  Eli 03/03/09
      43.   #11 Baruch Gold: "...the patience of Mother Teresa..." 00:18  |  hala 03/03/09
      44.   LABHRAS#35, WHY NOT TALKING OF PALESTINIAN DREAM IN 2000 YEARS? 00:27  |  MOSHEH 03/03/09
      45.   #37 So, Eli are you saying..... 00:59  |  Johnboy 03/03/09
      46.   #40 Nemesis 01:10  |  Chris Linthwaite 03/03/09
      47.   Israel`call for more violence against Gazans is immoral &unlawful 01:18  |  Dutch 03/03/09
      48.   barak actions 01:25  |  ed 03/03/09
      49.   Ghandi Would Not Show as Much Restraint As Israel Has 11:13  |  Baruch Gold 03/03/09
      50.   49, Why are you failing to connect the dots ? 17:35  |  Dutch 03/03/09
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