Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert on Thursday issued a "last-minute" appeal to Palestinians in the Gaza Strip to reject their Hamas rulers and stop rocket fire at Israel, warning them he would not hesitate to use force, Reuters reported.
His comments were the clearest indication yet that Israel was preparing a possible Gaza offensive which could result in heavy casualties on both sides and fuel a humanitarian crisis.
Political sources said Olmert's security cabinet approved a "staged" military escalation, beginning with air strikes against a wider range of Hamas targets in the densely-populated enclave. A large-scale operation has yet to be authorized but could get a green light depending on Hamas's response, the sources said.
In Gaza, Hamas spokesman Fawzi Barhoum said Israel would "pay the price" for any attack.
"I didn't come here to declare war," Olmert told Al Arabiya television, an Arab broadcaster widely watched in Gaza.
"But Hamas must be stopped -- that is the way it is going to be. I will not hesitate to use Israel's might to strike Hamas and (Islamic) Jihad. How? I will not go into details now," Olmert said, according to a statement issued by his office.
Olmert has resisted growing calls within Israel for a major military operation against Hamas, but rocket and mortar fire from the coastal enclave since a six-month truce brokered by Egypt expired last week has increased pressure on him to act.
Olmert's warning came during emergency talks in Cairo between Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni, a leading candidate to replace him in a February 10 election, and Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, who cautioned against an escalation.
In the West Bank, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas urged world powers to avert a crisis that could result in Israel re-occupying Gaza. Israel pulled Jewish settlers out in 2005.
