Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and his cabinet met in the early hours of Wednesday to discuss what further actions should be taken in the Gaza Strip, as the conflict entered a third week.

Many of the ministers composing the cabinet expressed their will to push forward with airstrikes and even attacks on Hamas political leaders, Israeli media informed.

Hamas and Islamic Jihad militants broke a five-month truce with Israel on 24 April and fired a launched a barrage of Qassam-rockets and mortar shells towards southern Israeli territories, mainly at the city of Sderot. The militants announced they will continue with the rocket fire and threatened “to kidnap more and more, and kill more and more of Israeli soldiers.”

Israel quickly retaliated with air-raids targeting facilities belonging to the armed wing of the Palestinian movement, killing 52 Hamas fighters and civilians. A few days ago, the conflict extended to ground attacks carried out by Israeli forces near the border, two persons being killed Tuesday in Ramallah and Jenin in a fierce fire exchange.
 
Ehud Olmert’s government accused the military movement of trying to end their feud with Fatah by diverting the wrath of Palestinians towards the so-called “Israeli occupation.” Olmert promised past mistakes will not be repeated and a solution to the conflict will soon emerge.