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Frank-Walter Steinmeier and Tzipi Livni speaking during a press conference in Jerusalem on Monday. (AP)
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Last update - 22:26 07/05/2007
Olmert: Israel to respond 'severely' to ongoing Qassam rocket fire
By Barak Ravid, Haaretz Correspondent, Haaretz Service and Agencies

Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said Monday that Israel would "respond severely" to the ongoing Qassam rocket fire from the Gaza Strip, saying the fire "threatens civilian lives in the northern Negev," according to a statement released by the Prime Minister's Office.

"The Qassam attacks constitute a tangible threat to Israel," said Olmert, during a meeting with German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier. "Israel cannot show restraint forever."

The Israel Air Force fired on a Qassam-firing squad in northern Gaza on Monday, wounding one militant, hours after a Qassam rocket hit a house in the center of Sderot. On Sunday, two people were wounded, one moderately, when a rocket hit a gas station near the western Negev town.

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Meanwhile, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon reiterated a call for the PA "to take all actions needed to halt immediately the firing of rockets against Israeli population centers, which by definition target civilians."

Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni however cautioned Monday against a hasty decision to invade Gaza over the continued rocket strikes, saying the government must not repeat mistakes of the Second Lebanon War.

Livni requested that the military echelons present its plans, as well as a number of alternative options, and that the Foreign Ministry be involved in any decision on how to proceed.

"I think that the time has come to change the way of working, both in the government and in the relationship between the military and diplomatic echelons," she told a joint press conference Monday following a meeting with Steinmeier.

"As a member of the cabinet, I expect that there will be a debate during which the military echelon will present its plans," she said.

"The situation in Gaza is complicated, and the government must hold a comprehensive and considered decision-making session."

The foreign minister also touched on the partial report released last week by the Winograd Committee, saying that in light of the panel's findings, she expects a change in the decision-making processes.

"These decisions are only apparently security related. The Foreign Ministry must be party to them," she said. "I expect to be given alternatives and discuss [them] in depth so that a decision can be made on the matter."

Steinmeier met separately with Livni and Prime Minister Ehud Olmert in Jerusalem on Monday to discuss the peace process and the Winograd report.

The German foreign minister, whose government currently holds the presidency of the European Union, invited Livni to discuss the Middle East peace process at an upcoming meeting of EU foreign ministers.

"I told Tzipi today that I'd like the Israeli foreign minister to seize the opportunity, to present her views to the European foreign ministers one more time," he said.

The Palestinian foreign minister, Ziad Abu Amr, is scheduled to address the next meeting of foreign ministers. Livni would attend the following session, Steinmeier said.
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  1.   LIVNI IS LOOKING FOR TROUBLE 14:28  |  indrajaya 07/05/07
  2.   Advice 14:48  |  Arab Israeli 07/05/07
  3.   Mixing diplomacy with military planning, 14:52  |  Dror 07/05/07
  4.   Politically Correct Timing 14:52  |  isratinian 07/05/07
  5.   Livni destroyed her credibility and proved she was a third-rater 15:05  |  Clickfool 07/05/07
  6.   A Quartet Summit needed NOW 15:11  |  The Equalizer 07/05/07
  7.   To Dror/You think she is alone? 15:12  |  Lena 07/05/07
  8.   Livni made the mistakes already 15:19  |  Jonathan S 07/05/07
  9.   Livni - Go Home to Canada ! 15:21  |  Observer 07/05/07
  10.   @5, clickfool, it is incredible but i agree with you. 15:36  |  vladimir 07/05/07
  11.   If she moved to Sderot she could say it.Otherwise she`s 15:39  |  Absolute Sweden 07/05/07
  12.   Agreed. So go home! 15:51  |  Simon 07/05/07
  13.   Arab Israeli (nr 2) 15:51  |  leon 07/05/07
  14.   Oh, just don`t make other errors 16:01  |  Shlomo from Tel-Aviv 07/05/07
  15.   ..the pathetic kadima trio is waitng for dead jewish children... 16:09  |  bernard ross 07/05/07
  16.   Give her a chance 16:15  |  Frank 07/05/07
  17.   ASK THE PEOPLE OF SDEROT THEIR VIEW! 16:25  |  Ben 07/05/07
  18.   Israel : Teach Them a Lesson FOREVER 16:40  |  Vittorio 07/05/07
  19.   Respond severely 16:53  |  Hindanow 07/05/07
  20.   Livni and Olmert need to resign they already got Israel in 1 war 16:56  |  Kipperraes 07/05/07
  21.   Stupid Diversion 16:59  |  Burkhardt 07/05/07
  22.   "The situation in Gaza is complicated..." 17:01  |  Jim 07/05/07
  23.   Frank 17:01  |  rich 07/05/07
  24.   #14, Shlomo from TA 17:04  |  Fritz 07/05/07
  25.   PM VS FM: WOW 17:20  |  indrajaya 07/05/07
  26.   OLMERT THREATS ARE VISIBLE AS AIR- 17:23  |  SPTZ 07/05/07
  27.   More empty promises from Olmert 17:23  |  Asylum Aleikum 07/05/07
  28.   How many times........ 17:30  |  Deborah 07/05/07
  29.   The alternatives 17:33  |  Tosefta 07/05/07
  30.   For "Teach them a Lesson" Vittorio # 18 17:47  |  Clickfool 07/05/07
  31.   Olmert Saved by Qassams 17:50  |  Butch 07/05/07
  32.   why even think of invading?? 17:58  |  vik 07/05/07
  33.   Tosefta you are too smart! 18:04  |  Dean 07/05/07
  34.   OLMERT STOP THREATENING, START DOING 18:12  |  * BEN JABO 07/05/07
  35.   peace 18:27  |  elie 07/05/07
  36.   No brutal occupation 18:33  |  Dav 07/05/07
  37.   Severe response to rocket fire 18:44  |  Jack 07/05/07
  38.   #24 Fritz: The IDF is not brave enough??? 18:53  |  Jim 07/05/07
  39.   Talk 18:54  |  MichaelF 07/05/07
  40.   #36 - To Dav 18:55  |  MichaelF 07/05/07
  41.   The chicken and the egg (Dean #33) 18:56  |  Tosefta 07/05/07
  42.   #25 Indrajaya 18:56  |  jewcrew 07/05/07
  43.   Tosefta # 29 There Are More Alternatives 19:00  |  Jeff Northridge 07/05/07
  44.   This Girl got B*lls 19:23  |  heinz 07/05/07
  45.   #29 Tosefta, in support of your suggested WB cease-fire 19:30  |  Smadar 07/05/07
  46.   Fritz, you don`t even recognize Israel`s right to exist, 19:36  |  Beni 07/05/07
  47.   Racism 19:43  |  Denton 07/05/07
  48.   The Olmert agenda 20:22  |  Tosefta 07/05/07
  49.   # 7 Lena. while I agree with your premise,I also agree with:#1 20:26  |  Kath` 07/05/07
  50.   Livni should leave it to the Defense 20:26  |  Brod 07/05/07
  51.   Deborah # 28 The Non-Functionality of Violence 20:30  |  Jeff Northridge 07/05/07
  52.   # 41 Tosefta Who`s the clever boy then!!.But can you explain... 20:47  |  Kath` 07/05/07
  53.   Questions, questions for Dr L.Brnd # 43 20:51  |  Clickfool 07/05/07
  54.   Deborah # 28 20:54  |  ChanahS 07/05/07
  55.   For Heinz # 45 20:56  |  Clickfool 07/05/07
  56.   To clickfool. 20:58  |  David NIgel Braham 07/05/07
  57.   ...doo da 21:02  |  Clickfool 07/05/07
  58.   For David Nigel Braham # 56 21:09  |  Clickfool 07/05/07
  59.   Jeff Northride & Dr. Brand; Two of a kind 21:09  |  Tosefta 07/05/07
  60.   olmert` nobody takes you seriousl 21:10  |  chaim 07/05/07
  61.   What to gain from Kassam firing?(Palestinians Victim Syndrome) 21:14  |  Alberto Cohen 07/05/07
  62.   Uncommon sense (Kath #52) 21:18  |  Tosefta 07/05/07
  63.   Livni 21:26  |  hesselk 07/05/07
  64.   #2: Olmert not in hurry to enter Gaza with IDF 21:37  |  Paul Freedman 07/05/07
  65.   #18: because it is currently considered a war crime 21:39  |  Paul Freedman 07/05/07
  66.   # 54 ChanahS and # 51 Jeff Northridge. re:Deborah U.K 21:44  |  Kath` 07/05/07
  67.   #5 Mr. Click Fool 21:50  |  Reb Bahir 07/05/07
  68.   which script to follow 21:55  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 07/05/07
  69.   #30 Mr. C. Fool 21:55  |  Reb Bahir 07/05/07
  70.   #46, Beni 22:33  |  Fritz 07/05/07
  71.   do palestinians really want..... 22:36  |  maria 07/05/07
  72.   #41, Tosefta: "a trivial suggestion" 22:41  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 07/05/07
  73.   Tosefta # 59 The Fact Is That... 23:27  |  Jeff Northridge 07/05/07
  74.   gaza 23:28  |  michel 07/05/07
  75.   time to cut the power 23:49  |  David G 07/05/07
  76.   @17 Ben 00:01  |  Mark B. 08/05/07
  77.   More action LESS TALK 00:09  |  Dr David I. Gross 08/05/07
  78.   To Cipora Julianna Kohn #72 00:13  |  Mark B. 08/05/07
  79.   We already did 00:33  |  Dr David I,. Gross 08/05/07
  80.   BURKHARDT Excuse me but who is firing the Qassems at whom? 00:36  |  PETER SM 08/05/07
  81.   HOW MANY TIMES NO 28. 00:40  |