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Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni meeting with her French counterpart Bernard Kouchner in Jerusalem on Monday. (Reuters)
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Livni: Hamas could have prevented Qassam attack on IDF base
By Haaretz Service and News Agencies

Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni, responding to a Tuesday Qassam rocket attack that wounded 69 soldiers at a Negev army base, said Hamas bore ultimate responsibility for the strike.

Livni added that Israel could also use non-military means to respond to ongoing rocket attacks against it from the Gaza Strip, a possible reference to proposals to curb the supply of utilities to the population of Gaza.

Later in the day, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert convened security officials in special session to discuss Israel's overall response to the attack, but there was no decision for an all-out offensive, officials said. Speaking on condition of anonymity because the meeting was closed, they said Israel might step up its air strikes aimed at militants in Gaza.

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The rocket strike was carried out by the radical Islamic Jihad and the Popular Resistance Committees. But Livni said, "It doesn't really matter which organization took responsibility. Gaza is entirely controlled by Hamas. Hamas has the ability to stop it [the rocket fire] and has decided not to do that."

One soldier was very critically wounded in the attack on the base. Four others were seriously hurt, and another 10 were moderately wounded. The remainder were lightly hurt, many of them suffering mainly from shock.

She said that Israel's policy was to make a "clear distinction" between the moderate leadership led by Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas in the West Bank and the extremist administration in Gaza.

As to steps aimed at putting an end to the Qassam fire, "We have means, means which are not only military," she told a joint news conference in Jerusalem with visiting French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner. "It is our duty to take these steps."

The strike came at a time when Israeli politicians and defense officials have been calling for a more aggressive Israeli response to the near-daily rocket barrages out of Gaza.

"Long ago, several years ago, we should have responded strongly," said Shas cabinet minister Eli Yishai. "In the end we will have no choice but to act."

Yishai called for the cancellation of the upcoming Mideast peace summit, scheduled to be held in Washington in November, in light of the Palestinian aggression displayed in this attack.

But Livni, referring to Abbas of Fatah and his Prime Minister Salam Fayyad, said "On the one hand we need to act against the terrorists in Gaza. On the other hand we need to reach an understanding with the moderates n the West Bank," she said.

Kouchner said the groups behind the rocket attack "do not want any dialogue" and were seeking to "undermine the process of negotiations between Israel and Abu Mazen [Abbas]."

"I understand that Israel has to defend its population," he said when asked about a possible Israeli reaction.
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  1.   Non-military means 17:13  |  leon 11/09/07
  2.   Livni announcement 17:17  |  Rabbi Yakov Lazaros 11/09/07
  3.   Livni,go home,Israel is pathetic and sinking fast 17:20  |  Absolute Sweden 11/09/07
  4.   cut off all power and water 17:23  |  chaim schonbrun 11/09/07
  5.   Blame 17:34  |  Joseph 11/09/07
  6.   Brilliant do nothing "FM" Livini states the obvious 17:34  |  SLAVO 11/09/07
  7.   Pathetic Israel the laughing stock of the world 17:37  |  Mrs Ita Peach 11/09/07
  8.   pathetic 17:47  |  jonny 11/09/07
  9.   THEY ARE SOLDIERS, NOT CHILDREN 17:47  |  indrajaya 11/09/07
  10.   huh? 17:49  |  david 11/09/07
  11.   get real livni 17:50  |  ravi 11/09/07
  12.   69 soldiers wounded. 17:52  |  ljf-canada 11/09/07
  13.   Hamas should help in painless ending of the Israeli occupation: 17:53  |  Uzi 11/09/07
  14.   the populace is tired of `platitudes` - it wants action - now! 17:55  |  redmike 11/09/07
  15.   give them thier freedom 18:00  |  LORD 11/09/07
  16.   Attack..69 injured 18:02  |  rubin 11/09/07
  17.   Israel knows this missile came from Iran but.... 18:02  |  Oliver 11/09/07
  18.   israel reprisal 18:02  |  scanadu 11/09/07
  19.   Cutting off supplies plays right into Hamas`s hands 18:13  |  w 11/09/07
  20.   uzi.... if dreams could come true 18:17  |  ravi 11/09/07
  21.   Indrajaya # 6 18:18  |  BRL 11/09/07
  22.   Livni and resposibility 18:20  |  Edifice 11/09/07
  23.   soldiers not children 18:26  |  Mr. Martin 11/09/07
  24.   Patience ends, candy won`t be being passed out. 18:28  |  Denton 11/09/07
  25.   Of course hamas could have stopped it 18:29  |  Existential 11/09/07
  26.   Livni = A Moron 18:34  |  Tod Zuckerman 11/09/07
  27.   indrajaya, you propagandist 18:34  |  Denton 11/09/07
  28.   Targetting combatants 18:35  |  Nick F 11/09/07
  29.   candy & sweets for every Qassam. where do we get some 18:36  |  abuolmart 11/09/07
  30.   latest qassam attack 18:39  |  yoel 11/09/07
  31.   Don`t blame hamas 18:47  |  Don Cole 11/09/07
  32.   Livni vs Hamas 18:50  |  Brod 11/09/07
  33.   Info on Indrajaya 18:51  |  dovale 11/09/07
  34.   Do not blame Palestinians 18:55  |  Alex 11/09/07
  35.   Mr Barak...Do or Resign...Olmert a Stupid 18:57  |  The Dumbite Kid 11/09/07
  36.   Likud could have stopped attack against Syria 18:58  |  Petteri 11/09/07
  37.   Tod,I doubt it`s politicians fault,it`s the gene of submission 19:00  |  Absolute Sweden 11/09/07
  38.   To Rabbi Yakob...speaking about cowards..what about your students 19:07  |  The Dumbite Kid 11/09/07
  39.   Dear ravi, could you please consider some facts? 19:10  |  Uzi 11/09/07
  40.   Sour grapes for the IDF... 19:13  |  Dutch Dirk 11/09/07
  41.   Dear ravi, could you please consider more facts? 19:13  |  Uzi 11/09/07
  42.   Hamas/Livni 19:14  |  LG 11/09/07
  43.   Dear HAMAS, please protect us, yours T. Livni 19:17  |  mike 11/09/07
  44.   Target the hate mongers 19:19  |  arun 11/09/07
  45.   Looks Like 19:26  |  Wam 11/09/07
  46.   totally ridiculous 19:55  |  realism 11/09/07
  47.   hey realism 20:15  |  vik 11/09/07
  48.   Livni could have stopped killing of Pal children 20:28  |  Tim 11/09/07
  49.   Are Olmert and Livni Palestinians? 20:38  |  rob 11/09/07
  50.   make the situation worse 20:41  |  feroX 11/09/07
  51.   Who defend the Palestinians 21:00  |  ronaldinho 11/09/07
  52.   Clear distinction... 21:09  |  Shalom 11/09/07
  53.   Pedophile Tim from Toronto,your interest in children 21:47  |  Absolute Sweden 11/09/07
  54.   #48, tim from Toronto... 21:52  |  Silvienne 11/09/07
  55.   ... and HItler could have stopped killing the Jews 22:12  |  Joe 11/09/07
  56.   A "clear distinction?" 22:41  |  H50 11/09/07
  57.   Thanks Tzipi, Here Are Two More. 23:23  |  Tony Anthony 11/09/07
  58.   Priorities 23:27  |  Baz Mann 11/09/07
  59.   Israel Must Take the War to It`s Enemies 23:33  |  Dave Levy 11/09/07
  60.   Roosevelt:Germany could have preventd Jap attack on Pearl Harbor 23:38  |  Ben Kasus 11/09/07
  61.   Livni 00:01  |  Connie 12/09/07
  62.   Am I dreaming? 00:35  |  Rafa 12/09/07
  63.   Livni--Captain of Titanic reincarnated???? 00:47  |  In Your Face Zionist 12/09/07
  64.   If I were in charge... 01:12  |  nate 12/09/07
  65.   Olmert and Livni, What Do You Tell the Parents? 02:18  |  Yoram 12/09/07
  66.   Olmert and Livni, What Do You Tell the Parents? 02:18  |  Yoram 12/09/07
  67.   Olmert and Livni, What Do You Say To The Parents? 02:22  |  Yoram 12/09/07
  68.   Livini: The terrorist should do more helpful things... 03:39  |  Avi 12/09/07
  69.   WHY IS SHE SMILING?????? 03:39  |  Avi 12/09/07
  70.   Okay,wonderful,yay Tzipi... 04:02  |  Alone ben caro 12/09/07
  71.   OF COURSE HAMAS TAKE RESPONSIBILITY 09:12  |  indrajaya 12/09/07
  72.   Who in the Israeli government lifted their finger 22:30  |  John 12/09/07
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