Peres: Israel will not invade Gaza

JERUSALEM, Dec. 27 (UPI) -- Israel will not invade Gaza as part of its efforts to stop Palestinian militants from firing rockets and mortars into the country, President Shimon Peres said.

In comments made before Israel launched Gaza air strikes Saturday that killed a reported 100 people, Peres told the London newspaper Asharq al-Awsat that invading Gaza, controlled by the militant group Hamas, was not an option being considered, The Jerusalem Post reported Saturday.

"Israel will take all steps demanded of it in order to stop the rocket fire," Peres said. "We will not go into Gaza. There are other ways -- we didn't leave Gaza in order go back."

Peres said it was Hamas' militancy that was preventing the establish of a Palestinian state, accusing the group of trying to foment a new uprising in the Israeli-occupied West Bank.

"Without Hamas, there would've already been a Palestinian state," Peres told Asharq al-Awsat.