Do what it takes to halt rocket fire, orders Olmert

Israel’s Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said he authorised the army to do whatever it takes to halt Palestinian rocket fire, but warned his Cabinet there was no quick solution.

An 11-day campaign of Israeli airstrikes aimed at halting the rocket attacks from Gaza has killed 49 Palestinians, mostly militants. Hamas said the attacks would continue as long as the Israeli airstrikes persist.

A rocket slammed into the town of Sderot – one of nine the Israeli army said struck the area yesterday – killing a 36-year-old computer technician as he was driving. It was the second time in a week a Palestinian rocket has killed an Israeli there.

Israeli aircraft last night hit what the military said were Hamas facilities to the north and south of Gaza City. Palestinian officials said there were no reports of casualties.

“We need to be prepared for dealing with this in the long term,” Olmert warned his Cabinet. He said Israel’s campaign against the attacks would not be time-limited, nor would the country yield to outside pressure.

“There will be no limit in acting against the terror groups and against those who are responsible for the terror. No-one is immune,” Olmert said.

In the private Cabinet session, Olmert seemed cool to efforts by Egypt and moderate Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to negotiate a new ceasefire, according to officials.

Olmert acknowledged there is no immediate military answer to the crude Qassam rockets, which have long baffled Israel’s hi-tech army.

“We don’t want to create unrealistic expectations that it’s possible to stop the Qassams totally,” he said.

The participant in the Cabinet session said the ministers did not discuss targeting Hamas’ political leaders or launching a large-scale ground operation in Gaza.

Israeli airstrikes appear to have hit Hamas hard – knocking out key bases, killing several top militants and forcing the movement’s leadership underground. Israel has so far avoided attacks on Hamas leaders – a tactic it used in the past. Hamas is now the senior partner in the Palestinian coalition government.

Israeli missiles have hit near the homes of Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh and MP Khalil al-Haya, both of Hamas, but the army has said the men were not targets.

Olmert spokeswoman Miri Eisin would not say if Hamas’ top political leaders were now targets, but said Israel would strike those involved in the attacks as well as anyone who smuggles weapons or money used for the attacks.

“If their leadership is directly involved in terror, their leadership is not immune,” she said.

Sami Abu Zuhri, a Hamas spokesman, warned Israel not to target the movement’s leaders. “Whoever thinks that harming the Hamas leadership can dissipate the movement is a fool,” he said.

Sunday’s rocket attack came a day after Hamas vowed revenge for Israeli airstrikes that killed five militants in Gaza. Hamas also warned the air assault would jeopardise the release of Corporal Gilad Shalit, the Israeli soldier captured last June by Hamas-linked militants.

The violence comes as Israel’s Labour Party is to hold its leadership race today. The outcome could impact on the stability of Olmert’s government and the embattled prime minister’s future.

The centrist party is the largest of three junior partners in the ruling coalition with Olmert’s Kadima Party. But both front-runners in the race have said they will work to topple the prime minister.