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Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni. (Reuters)
Last update - 20:18 13/02/2008
Israel takes dozens of foreign ambassadors to Gaza border
By Barak Ravid, Haaretz Correspondent and Reuters
Tags: Israel, Gaza Strip 

Israel took nearly 70 foreign ambassadors to its border with the Gaza Strip on Wednesday as part of a diplomatic campaign to enlist international support for tougher action against the enclave's Hamas Islamist rulers.

Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni told the envoys at the Erez crossing into Gaza that cross-border rocket fire by militants had created an "unbearable" situation that would only get worse. "Israel must act in order to reduce these threats," she said

But a large-scale military offensive in densely populated Gaza, where an Israeli blockade has already fuelled fears of a humanitarian crisis, could prove tough to convince the world to support.
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Ramiro Cibrian-Uzal, the ambassador of the European Union to Israel, condemned the rocket fire and called for it to stop immediately and unconditionally. Shortly after diplomats left the much-bombarded town of Sderot, a rocket directly hit a house there.

But the EU envoy told reporters after the tour: "The European Union does not consider a large military operation in Gaza to be a good idea and we do not believe it will bring a permanent solution to the problems Israel is confronted with."

Only last month, Israel backed down after an international uproar over fuel cuts to Gaza's main power led to blackouts.

Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has so far been wary of launching a major ground operation, which could cause heavy casualties, arguing there were no "overnight solutions" to daily rocket fire from Gaza that has inflamed Israeli public opinion.

But the prime minister faces growing domestic pressure after Hamas claimed responsibility for a suicide bombing in southern Israel last week and an 8-year-old Israeli boy lost part of his leg to a rocket strike in Sderot on Saturday. Olmert, who visited Germany to seek support for a military operation in Gaza, says Israel is at "war."

Israel says it can maintain parallel tracks with the Palestinians, one aimed at breaking Hamas' hold on Gaza, and the other aimed at reaching a statehood agreement with West Bank-based Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, whose Western-backed forces were defeated by Hamas in Gaza in June of last year.

The rockets have sparked debate within and without Olmert's government, with top ministers calling for the army to assassinate Hamas political as well as military leaders and to flatten those areas in Gaza where the rockets are launched.

Frequent Israeli air strikes and ground incursions into the Gaza Strip have killed some 300 Palestinians in the past year, including dozens of civilians, but failed to prevent rocket fire, which has killed two Israelis in the same time period.

Shunned by the West for refusing to renounce violence after beating Abbas' Fatah faction in a parliamentary election two years ago, Hamas says it would cease fire if Israel stops its military operations in Gaza and the West Bank.

Hamas is also demanding an end to an Israeli-led blockade that has cut supplies to the territory's 1.5 million people.

Although Abbas' Fatah faction remains deeply hostile to Hamas following its seizure of the Gaza Strip in June, the Palestinian president and his West Bank-based government have publicly criticized Israel for stepping up its military action and threats to kill Hamas leaders.

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  • Israeli, Palestinian envoys trade blame at the UN over Gaza
  • Rice names Gen. James Jones as new Mideast security envoy
  • PM: We'll keep targeting Gaza leaders over rockets
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      1.   don`t `reduce` rocket fire, stop it. don`t invade, bomb. 18:43  |  frenz 13/02/08
      2.   Bombing and invading are not solutions 19:13  |  Edgar 13/02/08
      3.   Permission Needed ? 19:17  |  Mark 13/02/08
      4.   Protect Yourselves 19:25  |  Edward H 13/02/08
      5.   These 7 0 diplomats should have also asked to visit GAZA 19:27  |  JosH 13/02/08
      6.   Livni. When it Comes to Qassams, Consensus Not Needed! 19:29  |  Alex 13/02/08
      7.   Good work. More politicians to come to Gaza border soon 19:32  |  Josh 13/02/08
      8.   its time to take it back 19:35  |  concerned jew 13/02/08
      9.   who ar these 70 ambassadors? 19:38  |  bozhidarevski 13/02/08
      10.   Killing Pals has become the Israeli sport 19:39  |  Jeremy Martin 13/02/08
      11.   Livni won`t go to toilet without EU`s permission,it`s her problem 20:05  |  Absolute Sweden 13/02/08
      12.   Strange "diplomatic" act! 20:09  |  Palestinian Brit 13/02/08
      13.   Marlin,Japan was a giant concentration camp under the WW2 and Am 20:19  |  Absolute Sweden 13/02/08
      14.   The EU would prefer to dump billions of Euro`s into the hands of 20:23  |  Avi 13/02/08
      15.   Josh 20:35  |  rich 13/02/08
      16.   Jeremy Martin 20:37  |  rich 13/02/08
      17.   Jeremy - Did you take into account the rockets in Sderot? 20:41  |  qa 13/02/08
      18.   Palestinian Brit 20:54  |  17 13/02/08
      19.   ed from Texas has the right idea 21:04  |  H50 13/02/08
      20.   FOREIGN AMBASSADORS 21:10  |  LJF-CANADA 13/02/08
      21.   Gee Jeremy, didn`t Hamas know... 21:29  |  MaryRose 13/02/08
      22.   What are you smokin` in London H5O? 21:37  |  MaryRose 13/02/08
      23.   Foreign Approval for Responding to Gaza Rockets 21:42  |  Maurice Zaslawsky 13/02/08
      24.   eu rep knows nothing, offers nothing disregard him. bomb or invad 22:00  |  ralph 13/02/08
      25.   Solution is easy--Hit Israel where it hurts most 22:14  |  Labhras 13/02/08
      26.   MaryRose, the faithful apologist 22:16  |  H50 13/02/08
      27.   #22 MaryRose 22:40  |  Boycott 13/02/08
      28.   The war criminals ogling Gaza to plan their next murderous 22:48  |  lakshmi 13/02/08
      29.   pot calls kettle "You are black"! 22:58  |  FalluJah 13/02/08
      30.   Jeremy Martins Comment 23:01  |  Michael Kavodi 13/02/08
      31.   Little Paddy Lahabras has the Napoleon complex 23:04  |  Absolute Sweden 13/02/08
      32.   We don`t need to enter Gaza we need to get rid of Olmert ! 23:26  |  redmike 13/02/08
      33.   Labarse # 25 23:27  |  ChanahS 13/02/08
      34.   25 -it would be funny if you weren`t so out of touch with reality 23:30  |  redmike 13/02/08
      35.   Jeremy Martin Gaza is a giant Arsenal 23:30  |  Margie in Tel Aviv 13/02/08
      36.   We Dont Care! 00:17  |  Paulo 14/02/08
      37.   IDIOTS!!! STOP ASKING FOR PERMISSION 00:37  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 14/02/08
      38.   # 25 .Time to wake up to reality. 00:53  |  Stephen. 14/02/08
      39.   "daisy-cut" neighborhoods. 00:53  |  akiva (zionist) 14/02/08
      40.   H50, the ignorant twit! 00:55  |  akiva (zionist) 14/02/08
      41.   to rich #16 - So now we know 00:59  |  zeev 14/02/08
      42.   ,JosH, Shunned by the Rest 01:02  |  akiva (zionist) 14/02/08
      43.   Wisdom, wisdom, wisdom, caution, caution, caution !!! 01:04  |  Fortuna Benmayor 14/02/08
      44.   concerned jew, you`ve got to be kidding! 01:04  |  akiva (zionist) 14/02/08
      45.   bozhidarevski, presume what you will... 01:07  |  akiva (zionist) 14/02/08
      46.   Jeremy Martin of Kansas CIty Missouri 01:10  |  akiva (zionist) 14/02/08
      47.   #33 ChanahS 01:17  |  kathy 14/02/08
      48.   Absolute Sweden, St, Sv 01:18  |  akiva (zionist) 14/02/08
      49.   Cheers today, tears tomorrow. 01:19  |  kathy 14/02/08
      50.   Palestinian Brit, fool, of Beit Jala, nowhere. 01:21  |  akiva (zionist) 14/02/08
      51.   #35 Margie 01:22  |  a. 14/02/08
      52.   Just to the borders? 01:42  |  Marlene N. 14/02/08
      53.   Tzipi I love you, but 01:44  |  Nechama 14/02/08
      54.   For your pleasure 03:04  |  A Funny thought 14/02/08
      55.   # 12 Pal Brit ...no need to be upset 03:04  |  Lynn 14/02/08
      56.   Rich from London 03:12  |  The Gentile 14/02/08
      57.   H50 03:16  |  The Gentile 14/02/08
      58.   Tzipi is mighty perdy! 03:46  |  Chuck the Christian 14/02/08
      59.   The rockets 04:02  |  Shaul 14/02/08
      60.   #2 04:03  |  Moshe 14/02/08
      61.   #5 04:14  |  Moshe 14/02/08
      62.   Take `em across to the other side. 04:20  |  Colin Wright 14/02/08
      63.   #25 04:25  |  Moshe 14/02/08
      64.   #10 04:40  |  Moshe 14/02/08
      65.   #13 Absolute Sweden 05:07  |  Moshe 14/02/08
      66.   To CJK (#37): Some questions 06:42  |  Morris Valentine 14/02/08
      67.   to palestinian brit 11:52  |  rights only? 14/02/08
      68.   Livni = UNIFIL = International observers 12:54  |  Avi 14/02/08
      69.   #28 LAKSHMI 13:37  |  dannyAUSTRALIA 14/02/08
      70.   israel the war monger....looks like that 17:18  |  ravi 14/02/08
      71.