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Prime Minister Ehud Olmert. (Reuters)
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PM: We'll keep targeting Gaza leaders over rockets
By Barak Ravid, Haaretz Correspondent, and News Agencies
Tags: Jim Jones, Ehud Barak, Gaza 

Prime Minister Ehud Olmert pledged late Tuesday to keep up the pressure on Palestinian militant groups following a series of Israel Defense Forces raids that killed at least 11 Islamic Jihad and Hamas men in less than 24 hours.

"We will continue to seek out the heads of the terror organizations... We will get all those who are responsible for firing rockets," Olmert told party members at a meeting in Jerusalem, referring to the ongoing rocket attacks from Gaza on Israeli communities across the border.

"The terror organizations feel this and will feel this in full force in the near future," the prime minister added.
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Earlier Tuesday, Defense Minister Ehud Barak told retired general Jim Jones, the recently appointed U.S. envoy to the Middle East, that Israel must brace for the possibility of retaliatory attacks in response to the IDF strikes.

During their meeting at the Defense Ministry, which also included IDF Chief of Staff Gabi Ashkenzi and other senior defense officials, Barak mapped out Israel's security priorities, voicing hope that the IDF would continue its "successful operations" in the Gaza Strip.

"We must be prepared for possible retaliation from the other side." Barak added.

The dead in the attacks included at least two senior commanders of Islamic Jihad's armed wing, prompting the group to threaten to unleash a wave of suicide attacks within Israel.

Ismail Haniyeh, the Hamas leader in Gaza whose government was sacked by Abbas after the Islamic militant group seized the coastal strip in June, said on Tuesday that Palestinians wanted an end to the attacks.

Haniyeh said: "These strikes will not weaken the Palestinian people ... but at the same time, as people we are most in need of calm and peace and we need the shedding of our blood to be stopped."

"We have urged our Arab brothers to intervene to end the continued aggression against our people," the Hamas leader stated.

Earlier in the day, Vice Premier Haim Ramon told Army Radio that "I can tell you that targeted killings in the West Bank have led to a drastic drop in terror attacks ... and in the Gaza Strip it certainly reduces the number of rockets fired into Israel."

Jones is to serve as a mediator between the Israelis and the Palestinians regarding implementation of the first stage of the road map peace plan. He will also be in charge of formulating a strategic plan to stabilize the security situation in the Palestinian Authority.

Political officials said Monday that the purpose of Jones' 24-hour visit to Israel was to familiarize himself with the situation while explaining to the Israeli side exactly what his position entails.

Jones later held talks with Olmert in Jerusalem and was scheduled to meet Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni later Tuesday and to see Barak again over dinner. He was not expected to make any public statements.

He was named to his post last month by U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to advise her on security aspects of the new Israeli-Palestinian peace talks.

That announcement came one day after Israeli and Palestinian leaders, meeting in Annapolis, Maryland, agreed to restart long frozen peace talks. Rice said providing security would be a key to their success.

Jones met Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Prime Minister Salam Fayyad this week in Paris at a conference of international donors of aid to the Palestinians.


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  • Hamas: Advanced defense plan ready for when IDF enters Gaza
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      1.   Barak must not sayt nothing to this guy 14:37  |  Frank 18/12/07
      2.   "targeted killings" = Assassination = War Crime 14:40  |  POP 18/12/07
      3.   ramon`snew pronouncements 14:53  |  marcel 18/12/07
      4.   Right, the IDF Attacks Bring More Security 15:02  |  Yaakov Sullivan 18/12/07
      5.   So Barak is not linking this 15:08  |  Paul Wood 18/12/07
      6.   13 islamofascists killed, it`s a good day, hope.. 15:15  |  maurice 18/12/07
      7.   targeted killings= less dead civilians 15:18  |  Lynn 18/12/07
      8.   #2 pop goes a lunatic who cant tell aterrorist from a hole in the 15:39  |  victor hardman 18/12/07
      9.   The best DEFENSE is a great OFFENSE 15:55  |  The Equalizer 18/12/07
      10.   #2 is a nazi 16:09  |  eddie 18/12/07
      11.   POP 16:15  |  George Kaplan 18/12/07
      12.   "targted killings" -(minus) terrorists = No civilian casualites 16:23  |  Daniel King 18/12/07
      13.   Jim Jones 16:25  |  Mica 18/12/07
      14.   nazi 16:49  |  keith 18/12/07
      15.   "POP" goes the weasel 16:52  |  Barry 18/12/07
      16.   POP # 2_ It`s Fundamental 16:54  |  Eli 18/12/07
      17.   Zionists have forgotten their history,right now they are puffed 17:11  |  lakshmi 18/12/07
      18.   pop without hope 17:23  |  scanadu 18/12/07
      19.   Actually, 17:27  |  Yosemite 18/12/07
      20.   I think that IDF War crimes must stop because 17:39  |  Yaakov Sullivan 18/12/07
      21.   Palestinian state = Uganda! 17:40  |  Lakshmi 18/12/07
      22.   Sullivan- PLEASE go live in Gaza 17:42  |  Dr. Dizzle 18/12/07
      23.   Pops` excuse for his sorry discourse: 17:43  |  Oople Oople 18/12/07
      24.   Israel is bracing for militants` retaliation 17:43  |  no sh*t? 18/12/07
      25.   Barak as Shimshon Hagibor 17:44  |  Yaakov Sullivan 18/12/07
      26.   We are running out of Virgins , Culture of death be informed 17:44  |  UPIN Heaven 18/12/07
      27.   POOP=BOOM 17:48  |  Tex 18/12/07
      28.   Lakshmi- "What happens when the big guy comes around" 17:49  |  Sam 18/12/07
      29.   Another Footloose Soldier..! 17:54  |  Stephen. 18/12/07
      30.   lakshimi: you`re complaining because the IDF is an army? 17:57  |  Richard S 18/12/07
      31.   Daniel King: another great zionist mind 18:02  |  right 18/12/07
      32.   POOP, Jackoff, Lackey 18:05  |  Tex 18/12/07
      33.   Barak whines to baby George the minor 18:11  |  oh no!!! 18/12/07
      34.   Dr.Drizzle and his own weather conditions 18:25  |  Yaakov Sullivan 18/12/07
      35.   Lakshmi= slightly confused 18:27  |  Mark T 18/12/07
      36.   right 18:47  |  rich 18/12/07
      37.   #17 Run...Who? 18:51  |  GPS 18/12/07
      38.   Kaplan`s claim 18:55  |  Goldberg 18/12/07
      39.   #2 Is POP = F ? 18:58  |  GPS 18/12/07
      40.   sorry pop 19:01  |  real vision 18/12/07
      41.   #24 rich 19:06  |  GPS 18/12/07
      42.   lakshmi, you`ve got it all wrong, as usual. 19:07  |  Mark 18/12/07
      43.   #4 TURNCOAT SULLIVAN 19:14  |  * BEN JABO 18/12/07
      44.   jones - what a joke 19:15  |  Barry 18/12/07
      45.   BRACING IS: 19:16  |  GPS 18/12/07
      46.   Israel, that US colony 19:19  |  Oliver Masterman 18/12/07
      47.   #4 James (Yaakov) Sulivan - a case of sour grapes 19:25  |  Yonatan 18/12/07
      48.   Mark T? and lebanon2 was a great victory for zion? 19:25  |  for real 18/12/07
      49.   35 Oliver...lets see 19:28  |  Esau Sullivan 18/12/07
      50.   bad boy BEN JABO post from USA 19:28  |  Saul 18/12/07
      51.   No electricity, no fuel, no water and no food and 19:28  |  Yonatan 18/12/07
      52.   why zion will lose all coming wars 19:48  |  Saul 18/12/07
      53.   ramon and rockets 19:51  |  irv 18/12/07
      54.   The truly pathetic brain of a Zionist # 22 19:59  |  Clickfool 18/12/07
      55.   Sam of Canada and other Zionists,there are more ways than one of 20:01  |  lakshmi 18/12/07
      56.   remember the photos of Gazan children with suicide belts 20:05  |  dav zee 18/12/07
      57.   So you blood thirsty Israeli Jews, take cover 20:07  |  Daniella Harter 18/12/07
      58.   Kill more Jihads 20:15  |  Joseph 18/12/07
      59.   #54 Remember the Israeli children 20:19  |  Chris Linthwaite 18/12/07
      60.   53 A truly pathetic brain of an anti-Zionist bigot 20:21  |  The Equalizer 18/12/07
      61.   Clickfool? if they weren`t brainless inbred idiots 20:25  |  true 18/12/07
      62.   is calling someone `anti zionist` intended insult? 20:31  |  curious 18/12/07
      63.   #58 yes chris did you notice lipstick on the 7 yr old 20:34  |  israheli children 18/12/07
      64.   What a wonderful forum 20:36  |  J 18/12/07
      65.   Real Solutions..Gaza shouldn`t be a prison.... 20:40  |  Abraham 18/12/07
      66.   Remember how everytime ZINNI hit town, PALS did HOMICIDE BOMBINGI 20:46  |  Alan 18/12/07
      67.   only one way out of spiral of violence for zion 20:49  |  pay attention 18/12/07
      68.   Goldbergs lack of logic 21:05  |  Mark T 18/12/07
      69.   Long Live Hamas 21:09  |  Jenk 18/12/07
      70.   For real...fantasies 21:10  |  Mark T 18/12/07
      71.   J solutions 21:21  |  Mark t 18/12/07
      72.   Joseph--sad truth 21:27  |  Mark t 18/12/07
      73.   POP#2 - killing a "soldier" is not a war crime 21:34  |  William 18/12/07
      74.   Lakshmi?? Pal State = Uganda?? 21:39  |  William 18/12/07
      75.   Oliver-anti semitism 21:40  |  Mark T 18/12/07
      76.   Oliver violence 21:41  |  Mark t 18/12/07
      77.   Lakshmi and other Islamofascists 21:49  |  Mark T 18/12/07
      78.   BRAVO IDF! ABOUT TIME! 21:49  |  don 18/12/07
      79.   MarkT lives in maine but know every zionist lie about the ME 21:51  |  get real 18/12/07
      80.   lack of attention of mind 21:52