Minister of Strategic Threats and Yisrael Beiteinu Chairman Avigdor Lieberman said Thursday that Israel must not move directly into negotiations for a political settlement with Palestinians and give up efforts at achieving security, Israel Radio reported.

"We must promise a complete end to rocket fire on the southern communities," he said. "Coming to negotiations from a weak stance means receiving a weak political settlement."

Lieberman also said Israel should, however, initiate joint financial projects with Palestinians in order to help them improve their economic situation.

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The minister's comments came two days after two teenage boys were badly wounded when a Qassam rocket slammed into the street near where they were walking in the western Negev town of Sderot.

In response to the attack, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert ordered the Israel Defense Forces to resume pinpoint operations on rocket launchers but to maintain a general policy of restraint.

Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas proposed Wednesday the start of "backdoor" negotiations with Israel on the most difficult problems of the Israeli-Palestinian dispute.

Recent weeks have seen a growing momentum toward reviving Israeli-Palestinian peace talks, with Olmert meeting Abbas on Saturday and the Iraq Study Group, a bipartisan Washington commission, reporting to U.S. President George W. Bush that progress on the Israeli-Palestinian dispute would contribute to reducing the conflict in Iraq.