JERUSALEM (AFP)--Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert refused to call off his country's military offensive against Hamas in a series of telephone talks and meetings Sunday with foreign leaders and envoys, Olmert's office said.
Olmert had talks with Russia's President Dmitry Medvedev, French President Nicolas Sarkozy, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Quartet Middle East peace envoy Tony Blair, the former U.K. prime minister, his office said.
The Israeli leader told Medvedev that "Israel could not stop its military activity before it reaches the goals it has set," the prime minister's office said in a statement.
"This can be reached through further military measures or diplomatic measures which the international community must formulate," Olmert insisted.
The Kremlin said that in the conversation, Medvedev "stressed the importance of reaching a ceasefire as quickly as possible."
The Russian leader has sent a special envoy to the Middle East due to the Israeli offensive to halt Hamas rocket attacks from its Gaza stronghold.
Olmert will meet the French president on Monday and he told Sarkozy "The military measures approved by the Israeli government so far are not aimed at reoccupying Gaza."
He added that Israel had made a "clear" distinction between "the terror organizations and innocent civilians living in the Gaza Strip."
The French government has criticized the Israeli attack and Hamas rocket fire.
Olmert told the German chancellor that the military offensive "was unavoidable" and also briefed Merkel on talks with international leaders "to reach regional agreements that will end Hamas' terror."
The Israeli prime minister also insisted to Blair during a personal meeting in Tel Aviv that the offensive had been "unavoidable".
"Israel's presence will not be open-ended," he said. "In parallel Israel is not ruling out diplomatic activity by the international community that will bring to an end rocket fire on our communities and make Hamas no longer a threat to southern Israel."
Olmert also met the mayor of New York, Michael Bloomberg, in Tel Aviv. "Israel is determined to continue its military offensive until the complete cessation of terror attacks against it and the return of calm to southern Israel," he said.
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Publié le 04 janvier 2009 Copyright © 2009 Dowjones