Ehud Olmert

Israeli prime minister Ehud Olmert has said further military action in the Gaza Strip will soon resume.

Olmert addressed the Knesset Foreign and Affairs Committee on Monday, shortly after ground troops ended a bloody offensive against Hamas rocket crews and gunmen in northern Gaza that killed about 100 Palestinians.

"We are in the midst of a combat action. What happened in recent days was not a one-time event," Olmert was quoted as saying.

He said Israel's armed forces would continue using a variety of actions to achieve the objectives of stemming cross-border rocket fire and undermining the Islamist faction's rule in Gaza.

Jerusalem sources said the five-day Gaza offensive was wound up at least partly because of U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice's visit, which is to begin Tuesday.

Olmert was scheduled to convene his Security Cabinet on Wednesday to discuss further options against Hamas.

(c) JTA