Olmert issues last-minute warning to Hamas

Israeli prime minister Ehud Olmert today issued a "last-minute" appeal to Palestinians in the Gaza Strip to reject their Hamas…

Israeli prime minister Ehud Olmert today issued a "last-minute" appeal to Palestinians in the Gaza Strip to reject their Hamas rulers and stop rocket fire at Israel, warning them he won't hesitate to use force.

His comments were the clearest indication yet that Israel may launch a Gaza offensive, which could result in heavy casualties on both sides and fuel a humanitarian crisis.

"I didn't come here to declare war," Mr Olmert told Al Arabiya television, an Arab broadcaster which is widely watched in Gaza.

"But Hamas must be stopped -- that is the way it is going to be. I will not hesitate to use Israel's might to strike Hamas and (Islamic) Jihad. How? I will not go into details now," Mr Olmert said, according to a statement issued by his office.

Mr Olmert has resisted growing calls within Israel for a major military operation against Hamas, but rocket and mortar fire from the coastal enclave since a six-month-old truce brokered by Egypt expired last week has increased pressure on him to act.

Olmert's warning came during emergency talks in Cairo between Israeli foreign minister Tzipi Livni, a leading candidate to replace him in a February 10th election, and Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak.

Egypt cautioned against an escalation but acknowledged there was little it could do for now.

"Egypt will not stop efforts (to broker a truce) as long as the parties want this, but I cannot imagine that we can convince the two sides to go back to the calm as long as there is this escalation," Egyptian foreign minister Ahmed Aboul Gheit told reporters at a news conference with Livni.

"What we are asking them both is to restrain themselves, and then we see how to come back to that period of quiet," he added.

Ms Livni said Islamists had to pay a price, describing the rocket fire as "unbearable" and declaring: "Enough is enough."

Since the cease-fire ended on Friday, more than 200 rockets and mortar shells have been fired at Israel, causing damage but few injuries, the Israeli army said.

During the same period, six Palestinian militants have been killed in Israeli attacks in the Gaza Strip.

In the Al Arabiya interview, Mr Olmert issued what amounted to a public call to Gazans to overthrow their Hamas leaders to prevent an escalation with Israel.

"I say to you, in a last-minute call, stop it. You, the residents of Gaza, can stop it," Mr Olmert said.

Israel has sought to weaken the Islamist group by keeping the Gaza Strip's border crossings closed. The blockade has increased hardships for the territory's 1.5 million residents, forcing the main power plant to shut down and international aid agencies to temporarily halt food distribution.

But there is little doubt Hamas has a firm grip on the Gaza Strip and faces scant opposition there from the secular Fatah faction of Western-backed Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas. The two factions fought a brief civil war last year.In Gaza, Hamas spokesman Fawzi Barhoum said Israel will "pay the price" for any attack.

"Is the spirit of Islam to kill innocent children, to fire rockets at kindergartens and civilians? I don't think that is the spirit of Islam," Mr Olmert said.

Israel and Hamas trade blame over the ceasefire's collapse.

Hamas says Israel failed to make good on a commitment to ease its blockade of Gaza by allowing in more food and medical supplies to alleviate severe shortages.

Israel says it started to open the crossings to more goods but Hamas failed to halt the rocket fire.

Reuters