Blame Hamas, urges Livni
2008-12-28 18:12
Washington - Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni on Sunday urged the international community to cast blame on Hamas as world opinion divided over Israel's deadly air strikes on the Palestinian territory.
"I expect the international community, including the entire Arab world, to send a clear message to Hamas: 'It is your fault. It's your responsibility. You're the one who's being condemned,'" she told NBC's Meet the Press.
"You are not going to get legitimacy from the international community this way," she continued. "The responsibility for the lives of civilians in the Gaza Strip is in your hands."
Livni also said that "Hamas doesn't serve the interests of the Palestinians or the Arab world" and "stands in the way of the Palestinians to create their own state".
Speaking to US political talks shows from Israel, Livni said she spoke to US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice late Saturday and was in close contact with US leaders, who have also condemned the Islamist movement for firing rockets and the Jewish state.
White House spokesperson Gordon Johndroe told reporters Saturday: "These people (Hamas) are nothing but thugs, and so Israel is going to defend its people against terrorists like Hamas."
Meanwhile, the European Union, Russia and the United Nations urged an immediate halt to all military action in the Gaza Strip where more than 290 people have been killed in the last 48 hours.
Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov urged Livni to "urgently halt the military action in the Gaza Strip, which has already led to numerous victims amongst the Palestinians," and called for a restored truce.
Israel has warned it could launch a ground offensive in addition to its massive air bombardment, as dozens of Israeli tanks massed on the border with Gaza and the Cabinet gave the green light to call up 6 500 reserve soldiers.
Asked about the possibility of an impending ground offensive, Livni told Fox News on Sunday: "We'll make these decisions according to the situation on the ground.
"All options are open," she added.
"We are determined to change realities, and the last thing I'm going to do now is to tell Hamas through the press what we are going to do the next day," she said.
- AFP