Gaza’s rulers told to halt rocket attacks

JERUSALEM (AP) — Prime Minister Ehud Olmert threatened a painful response to Palestinian rocket fire menacing southern Israel, suggesting Sunday that the blistering offensive against Gaza Strip militants fell short of its goals.

The prospect of heightened hostilities in Hamas-ruled Gaza cast a pall over a week of crucial diplomatic activity, including an international conference designed to drum up billions of dollars to rebuild the heavily damaged territory.

With a new Israeli government to take office within weeks, however, it wasn’t clear how sweeping the country’s response to the rockets would be.

More than 110 rockets and mortar shells have exploded in Israel in the six weeks since it ended its air and ground onslaught against Gaza, which was meant to end the rocket threat and stanch the flow of arms into Gaza.

So far, Israel has responded to the rocket fire mainly with airstrikes targeting underground tunnels used to smuggle weapons and other goods into Gaza from Egypt.

On Sunday, Olmert told Gaza’s Islamic militant rulers to expect a severe response if the attacks don’t stop.

The rockets “will be answered with a painful, harsh, strong and uncompromising response from the security forces,” Olmert said at the start of the weekly Cabinet meeting.

There was no comment from Hamas or other Gaza militant groups. Several hours after Olmert spoke, a rocket exploded in southern Israel, causing no injuries.

The fire from Gaza has intensified as Egyptian-led efforts to cement the informal cease-fire with a long-term truce have faltered.

In the runup to the donors’ conference, a string of high-profile foreign visitors have arrived in Gaza, indicating a new willingness on the part of the international community to become involved there.

International Mideast envoy Tony Blair toured the territory on Sunday, his first visit since he was appointed in 2007 to represent the Quartet of Mideast negotiators — the U.S., European Union, United Nations and Russia.

Money for Gaza won’t have the desired effect without a truce and reconciliation agreements, Blair said.

“This money will not have a lasting impact unless there is a political solution,” Blair said. “It is ultimately in the politics that the solution lies.”

Hamas wants Israel to end its blockade of Gaza, imposed after the Islamic militant group wrested control of the territory in June 2007, leaving moderate Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas controlling only the West Bank.

Israel says it won’t end the blockade until Hamas releases an Israeli soldier captured nearly three years ago.