Livni Says Israel Can’t Tolerate Hamas State in Gaza

Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni said Israel can’t tolerate a Hamas-run state in the Gaza Strip, as a six-month truce with the Islamic militant group comes to an end.

I came from Khazaria to steal more land

“Hamas cannot continue to control Gaza,” Livni said in remarks to high school students today. “In the long term, Israel cannot tolerate an extreme Islamic state on its southern border.”

The truce, or “lull,” as both sides call it, has been repeatedly violated in recent weeks as Palestinian militants lob rockets at Israel and Israeli troops and aircraft fire on launchers. The period of calm officially ends Dec. 19.

Livni’s comments were the harshest the Israeli leader has made to date and came in the midst of an election campaign that began after Prime Minister Ehud Olmert resigned to fight corruption allegations. Livni, who took over as leader of their Kadima party, failed to form a new coalition. Israelis go to the polls on Feb. 10.

Housing Minister Ze’ev Boim echoed Livni’s remarks in an e- mailed statement calling on Defense Minister Ehud Barak to act against Hamas before the end of the truce. More