Olmert pledges to pursue peace talks with Palestinians to achieve accord

By JERUSALEM POST STAFF
Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has pledged to continue with peace talks with the Palestinians until an agreement is achieved, while ruling out negotiations with Hamas. Olmert was speaking Wednesday to foreign correspondents in Jerusalem. He said while some Palestinians are carrying out attacks on Israel, his government is pursuing peace talks with moderates. "We are absolutely determined to carry out these talks until we finalize a solution," he told reporters, At the same time, Olmert complained about the constant rocket fire from Gaza. Speaking at nightfall, Olmert said that up to that point, nine rockets had been fired from Gaza during the day. "This is not a prescription for peaceful relations," he said, ruling out talks with Hamas. "We have not negotiated with Hamas and we will not negotiate with Hamas," he said.