Invasion of Gaza Ruled Out

Prime Minister Ehud Olmert on Sunday ruled out a broad military operation in the Gaza Strip, deflecting rising anger after an 8 year old boy lost a leg in a Palestinian rocket attack. However, Israel's top diplomat warned it will be impossible to reach a peace agreement with Palestinians as long as the Hamas rulers of Gaza continue to push violence. Ohmert said they should not let anger be their operational plan, in response to clamoring for a full-scale invasion of northern Gaza to take over the areas where militants have been launching the rockets. There were calls for the Cabinet for assassinating Hamas political leaders. residents of the battered town of Sderot near Gaza blocked the main highway entrance into Jerusalem as the Cabinet met.

Bush To Focus on Mid-East Peace

The US Secretary of State says President George Bush has decided to make ending the Israeli-Palestinian conflict one of his highest priorities. The current moves to re-start talks were the most serious effort to resolve the conflict in many years. Ms. Rice is in the West Bank, where she has been trying to salvage a peace conference planned for next month. The Palestinians have warned that if no tightly worded text is agreed on which to base talks, they will not attend. The Israelis say they do not believe an agreed text is necessary.

Palestinian Children Die in Blast

Three Palestinian children have been killed after an Israeli tank shell hit northern Gaza. Israel's military confirmed it launched an attack, saying it had targeted people setting up a rocket launcher. Doctors said two boys aged 10 and 12 died of shrapnel wounds. A 12 year old girl, who was critically injured in the blast, died also in the hospital. The Israeli army expressed sorrow for the deaths of the children, but said it held militant groups responsible.