The Israeli Prime Minister Mr Ariel Sharon said today the killing of selected Palestinian militants remains necessary, despite claims it is counter-productive.
He was speaking after attorney general Mr Elyakim Rubinstein criticised the policy of "targeted killings", saying it had to be carried out with the "utmost caution".
"The defence minister (Shaul Mofaz) and I agreed to apply heavy pressure on the terrorist organisations," Mr Sharon told his cabinet.
He has made the fight against what he calls Palestinian terrorism his bedrock platform in the current Israeli election campaign leading to a parliamentary poll on January 28th.
Last Thursday several alleged militants were shot dead in "targeted killings". In response four Israeli settlers were shot dead in attacks by Palestinians on Friday.
The last few days have seen a sharp increase in violence. Yesterday two 11-year-old Palestinian children were killed in separate incidents in the West Bank and Gaza.
AFP