Rice’s Bed of Lies and Threats?

Olmert: Israel will continue operations in Gaza

28 February 2008

Bethlehem – Ma'an – Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said on Thursday that the Israeli government's patience with the Palestinians has come to an end.

During comments in a meeting with the US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice in the Japanese capital Tokyo on Thursday morning, he affirmed that Israel would continue with military operations in the Gaza Strip, threatening the Palestinian Royal Guards will pay a heavy price.

For her part, Rice called on the Palestinians to stop launching homemade projectiles from the Gaza Strip towards Israeli towns. She blamed Hamas for the deteriorating situation in Gaza and expressed her worries about a looming humanitarian crisis.

US State Department spokesman Tom Keisi announced on Wednesday night that Rice would pay a visit to Israel and the Palestinian territories between 3 and 7 March. She will meet with Israeli and Palestinian officials to follow up with the mechanisms decided in November's Annapolis peace conference.