Israeli Minister: Gaza Fighting Decisions Made on Day-to-Day Assessment
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Any decision by Israel to end fighting in Gaza will depend on a daily assessment of its military operations against the militant Islamic group Hamas, the Israeli foreign minister said Thursday in Paris.
Tzipi Livni reiterated that a pause in Israel's six-day assault on Gaza would depend on Hamas suspending rocket attacks on southern Israel.
"We affected most of the infrastructure of terrorism in Gaza Strip, and the question (of) whether it's enough or not will be according to our assessment on a daily basis," Livni told reporters after meeting with French President Nicolas Sarkozy and her French counterpart, Bernard Kouchner.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Sarkozy, who made no statement after meeting Livni, has been vocal in the diplomatic push for peace in Gaza and is set to travel to the Middle East next week.
Livni said the violence could only stop completely once Hamas showed an understanding that "enough is enough."
She said Hamas had taken advantage of a six-month truce with Israel that expired last month to build up its arsenal.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"Even when we accept something in order to have a peaceful period of time, they abuse it in order to get stronger and to attack Israel later on," Livni said at the news conference in the courtyard of the Elysee presidential palace.
The minister gave no details of her hourlong meeting with Sarkozy, but thanked him for "standing for the right thing."
France chaired an emergency European Union meeting Tuesday to discuss the Gaza conflict.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Sarkozy plans to meet Monday with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak in Cairo and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah before dining with Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert in Jerusalem. On Tuesday, the French president will travel to Syria and Lebanon for further talks.
Livni also said Israel was doing its best to help Gaza civilians caught in the cross fire.
More than 400 residents have been killed and about 1,700 wounded in the renewed fighting, Gaza health officials said. Israeli officials rejected calls for a 48-hour pause in fighting, which France had campaigned for to ensure humanitarian aid could get to victims.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"Israel distinguished the war against terror, against Hamas members, from the civil population in Gaza Strip and in doing so, we keep the humanitarian situation in Gaza Strip completely as it should be. The crossings are open, more than it used to be before the military operation," she said.