Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak said Thursday he saw no "miracle solution" to end the Palestinian Intifada, which has claimed the lives of more than 230 people in seven weeks.
"If we thought that 2,000 Palestinian deaths instead of the 200 now would really solve the situation we would act in that direction, but there is no miracle solution because a settlement can only be found around the negotiating table," Barak told public radio.
He was speaking after overnight raids by Israeli army combat helicopters against several West Bank targets of what Israel terms the Tanzim militia of Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat's Fateh faction.
"But the Intifada or the violence will not stop after this operation, which was aimed at making the Palestinians understand that they will pay the price for violence and that they will gain nothing," he added.
Barak is facing increasing pressure from some of his ministers, Jewish settlers, army brass and the Israeli public to take a tougher line with the Palestinians.
The overnight strikes followed a meeting of Barak's security cabinet, which discussed measures to bring a halt to an escalation of the deadly violence that Monday claimed the lives of four Israelis in separate shooting attacks.
However, Barak has not ruled out the possibility of resuming negotiations with the Palestinians to try to reach a deal to end half a century of conflict.
"Israel will continue to lead this fight, which has been imposed on us, all the while keeping open to a resumption of negotiations with the Palestinians. But this cannot happen without a significant drop in the level of violence."
Barak said he made similar comments at a meeting overnight with US Middle East special envoy Dennis Ross, who was in Israel for Wednesday's funeral for Leah Rabin, the widow of assassinated Israeli leader Yitzhak Rabin.
He also denied that US President Bill Clinton had presented him with a proposal for a final settlement with the Palestinians during their talks in Washington at the weekend.
"There is no secret document in the safe," he said – JERUSALEM (AFP)
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