Olmert: Gaza truce is 'shattered'

[TriWooOx]

Quote:Interim Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert says an Egyptian-brokered cease-fire between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip is 'shattered'.

During a Sunday weekly cabinet meeting the outgoing prime minister said that the truce was "shattered" and he had ordered the security chiefs to immediately draw up plans and present the government with options for action to end the Hamas' rule in the Gaza Strip.

"The responsibility for the shattering of the calm and the creation of a situation of prolonged and repeated violence in the south of the country is entirely on Hamas and the other terror groups in Gaza," AFP quoted Olmert as saying.

"There is no one who can criticize the Israeli government... We cannot tolerate this price tag that the terror organizations are trying to set against our right to prevent the continuing terror attacks and threats," he said.

"We have taken action and will continue to take action in order to make sure that this 'calm' does not turn against the citizens of Israel."

The violence in the Gaza Strip has erupted during the past two weeks as Israeli army carried out several ground and aerial strikes against the Palestinians in the Gaza strip already under an Israeli blockade.

In response to the Israeli attacks the Palestinian fighters fired homemade rockets to the territories occupied by Israel.

The Egypt-brokered ceasefire between Israeli and Gazan fighters came into effect on June 19, under which Israel promised to stop attacks on Gaza and ease the blockade in exchange for an end to retaliatory rocket attacks.

Despite the Israelis' claims that it has remained committed to the truce deal, its forces killed and wounded Palestinians during the two weeks.

The six-month truce is due to come to an end on December 19.

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