Minister for Strategic Threats Avigdor Lieberman, head of the hawkish Yisrael Beiteinu party, warned his fellow coalition partners Sunday that if the government failed to dismantle Hamas, the government itself would be dismantled.

Israel must launch bold military operations aimed at "dismantling Hamas totally and absolutely" and creating "an entirely new situation," Lieberman said.

Lieberman spoke as new barrages of Qassam rockets struck the Negev town of Sderot and the surrounding area.

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Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's Knesset majority could survive the departure of Yisrael Beiteinu, but the presence of the right-wing has lent him stability until now.

"The current coalition has reached the moment of truth. Either we take apart Hamas, or we take apart the government," Lieberman told Israel Radio.

"This alternative is pure, it's the only one on the agenda. I empgazise that this is not an ultimatum and I am not settling forth a time limit, but in the end, this is the choice, either you break up Hamas, or you break up the government."

According to Lieberman, "I am speaking of a specific operation, I am speaking of dismantling Hamas totally and absolutely, the creation of an entirely new situation. It is time to stop making declarations and threats. It is time to carry out operations, tough operations, daring, non-routine operations, and I hope that this is what will be."