People pray before the bodies of Palestinians killed by Israeli forces during their funeral in the northern Gaza Strip Mar. 2, 2008.

They said that most of the militants slain were Hamas members while several others were from Islamic Jihad (Holy War) and one from the Popular Resistance Committees.

Commenting on the effect of the operations in the past few days, Israeli Vice Premier Haim Ramon told Israel Army Radio that "This operation has run its course. The main goal of the Israeli government ... is to end the firing at targets in the south. There were dozens of deaths among the Hamas terrorists - this is certainly deterrence."

In response to the Israeli offensive into the Gaza Strip, the Palestinian National Authority (PNA) decided to suspend peace talks with Israel.

However, PNA's decision was left unheeded. Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni said that the Palestinian threat to suspend peace talks will not affect Israel's operation in the Gaza Strip.

Livni was quoted by Yedioth Ahronoth as saying that Israel's need to protect its citizens has always been a precondition to the basis of the negotiations between Israel and the PNA.

Olmert also refused to pay much heed to the threat by the PNA. He said early Monday that negotiations with the Palestinian Authority would continue.

He was quoted by Israeli daily Haaretz as saying that Israel would take further military action against militants firing rockets and he will tell Rice that Israel reserves the right to act freely in the Gaza Strip against Hamas and other Palestinian terror groups.

(Xinhua News Agency March 4, 2008)