Israel's military actions in Gaza will continue, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert pledged from Los Angeles Wednesday, adding that compromising with Hamas would be tantamount to compromising with Iran. Olmert, wrapping up a five-day visit to the US, was briefed on the situation throughout the day by Defense Minister Amir Peretz. Prior to an Israeli Bonds meeting in LA, Olmert told reporters "our actions in Gaza will continue." He said that decisions would need to be taken on what additional steps to take, but "we will continue to fight the murderous terror emanating from Gaza." In what appeared to be a response to critics arguing that Israel has been too weak in trying to stop the steady barrage of Kassam attacks on Sderot, Olmert said that the IDF has been operating inside the Gaza Strip for a long time, and "lately an intensive operation in Beit Hanoun ended, in the course of which dozens of Hamas operatives and terrorists were killed."
During his appearance before the Bonds group, Olmert lashed out at what he said was the UN Security Council's hypocrisy, pointing out that while that body met to condemn Israel for last weeks errant shell that killed 21 people in Beit Hanoun, it did not meet to condemn the continuous firing of Kassam rockets on Israel. He said that he discussed earlier in the week with US President George W. Bush and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice the US veto of a UN Security Council condemnation of Israel for its actions in Gaza.