By DPA,
Paris/Jerusalem : Israel will continue its offensive against Hamas in the Gaza Strip until it reaches a point where “the operation exhausts itself” and militants no longer fire rockets at the Jewish state, Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni said Thursday.
“It’s not a case of a timetable, but a case of targets, and each day we have to do as new situation assessment,” she told Israel’s Channel 2 news from Paris where she met French President Nicolas Sarkozy and Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner.
Asked if Israel was waiting for Hamas to surrender, she replied that “we are not waiting, we are acting and each day we act we see more change on the ground.”
“There are still more targets to hit … and then there will be a point where we have to see whether this is the point where Hamas understands and the point where Hamas stops firing (rockets at Israel),” she said.
Israel launched its Operation Cast Lead against Hamas Saturday, in response to a massive rocket barrage from the Gaza Strip in the week following the end of six-month truce Dec 19.
Livni flew to Paris for discussions on a French proposal for a 48-hour “humanitarian” truce in the fighting. Israel rejected the notion Wednesday and Thursday Livni said there was no need for such a ceasefire as Israel was allowing aid convoys into the salient, despite its attacks.