Israel’s Livni vows to end Hamas control of Gaza

Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni vowed on Thursday to end Hamas's control of the Gaza Strip after an escalation of escalation of violence in the Palestinian territory.

"Enough is enough. The situation is going to change," Livni said in Cairo after meeting Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak to discuss the deteriorating situation in the Gaza Strip since a truce expired six days ago.

"Unfortunately there is one address to the situation of the people in the Gaza Strip, this is Hamas, Hamas controls them, Hamas decided to target Israel, this is something that has to be stopped and this is what we're going to do," she said in English

Livni headed to Egypt earlier Thursday for talks with President Mubarak on the situation around Gaza, where escalating violence has dimmed prospects of a new truce.

Livni's visit comes after Israel and Hamas exchanged military strikes and warnings of more to come.

Tit-for-tat strikes

 Unfortunately there is one address to the situation of the people in the Gaza Strip, this is Hamas, Hamas controls them, Hamas decided to target Israel, this is something that has to be stopped and this is what we're going to do, 

Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni

Egypt had mediated a six-month ceasefire which went into effect in June but expired six days ago.

Livni said on Wednesday that Israel will "change the reality" of the situation in the Gaza Strip.

Under a six-month ceasefire that ended in violence last week, Hamas agreed to halt rocket fire in return for Israel easing a blockade that was tightened after the Islamist group seized control of the Gaza Strip in June 2007.

Nevertheless, chances of a renewal of the truce appeared low after a day of tit-for-tat strikes around the Gaza Strip, an impoverished territory of 1.5 million sandwiched between Israel and Egypt.

An Israeli army raid killed a Hamas militant late Wednesday in southern Gaza after gunmen pounded the Jewish state with about 70 rockets and mortars -- the largest daily bombardment in six months. The military said it had targeted gunmen who had fired rockets on Israel.

Hamas's military wing said Wednesday's barrage was in retaliation for the killing of three of its members by the Israeli army on Tuesday. The army said it had fired on militants laying explosives along the Israel-Gaza border.

"Hamas is responsible for these rocket attacks, and it will pay a big price," Defense Minister Ehud Barak said Wednesday. "We will not allow this situation to last."

But Hamas vowed to step up attacks if Israel responded with strikes against Gaza.

"(Israel) should know that any decision to attack the Gaza Strip will open the gates of hell and we will make you regret your stupidity with tears of blood," the group's armed wing the Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades said.

Israeli threats

 Hamas is responsible for these rocket attacks, and it will pay a big price, 

Israeli Defence Minister Ehud Barak

Since Friday's expiry of the Egyptian-mediated truce, Israel has threatened to launch a major offensive on Gaza and Hamas warned it would retaliate by resuming suicide attacks inside the Jewish state.

A U.N. statement said U.N. chief Ban Ki-moon was "gravely concerned" about the situation, that he condemned the rocket attacks and also called for an urgent easing of humanitarian conditions in the Gaza Strip.

President Shimon Peres, on a visit to the town of Sderot which has borne the brunt of rocket attacks, said Israel's response must be "measured, responsible and efficient."

Israel's security cabinet met for five hours to discuss possible action, but Prime Minister Ehud Olmert imposed a black-out.

Since Friday's expiry of the Egyptian-mediated truce, Israel has threatened to launch a major offensive on Gaza and Hamas warned it would retaliate by resuming suicide attacks inside the Jewish state.

Israel, which considers Hamas a terrorist group as it is sworn to the destruction of the Jewish state, kept Gaza sealed on Wednesday.

Aid groups have warned of a deteriorating humanitarian situation in the tiny enclave virtually cut off from the outside world since Hamas violently ousted its rivals from Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas's Fatah faction.

They have repeatedly appealed to Israel to ease its blockade and allow shipments into Gaza, where most of the 1.5 million population depends on foreign aid.