[New York Times] Sharon Otterman - Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni told America's Sunday morning talk shows that Hamas, not Israel, "is the one who needs to be condemned by the international community." Livni said on "Fox News Sunday" that the assault in Gaza "is needed in order to change the realities on the ground, and to give peace and quiet to the citizens in southern Israel." She said that until Hamas recognized Israel's right to exist and ceased rocket attacks against Israel, they remained terrorists who needed to be acted against. "We are targeting Hamas, we are not looking for civilians to kill," she said on NBC's "Meet the Press." Israel had warned Palestinian civilians to leave places where Hamas officials and fighters were known to be located. "The one who needs to be condemned by the international community is Hamas," she continued. "Israel is a state that implements its right to defend itself and its citizens." The Bush administration has been supportive of the assault, condemning Hamas for its repeated rocket and mortar attacks against Israel in recent weeks.
2008-12-29 06:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive