Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon on Tuesday rejected the notion of giving the new Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas a "grace period" for reining in Palestinian militants.

"Abu Mazen (Abbas) does not need an adjustment period. He knows what is happening on the ground, he knows the commanders and the people," Sharon said during a visit to the Israel Defence Forces'(IDF) Gaza Division.

Sharon discussed strategies to bring an end to the incessant Qassam rocket attacks and mortar shell fires on Israeli towns and settlements originating from Palestinian villages in Gaza.Israeli Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz, IDF Chief of Staff Lt.Gen. Moshe Ya'alon and several other high-ranking officers recommended plans to the prime minister to be implemented against the unrelenting attacks launched by Palestinian militants."It is of the utmost importance to eliminate the attacks on the settlements," Sharon said.

He also said there was no difference between the attacks on the southern Israeli town of Sderot and the attacks on Jewish settlements in Gaza. "None of them can continue," he stressed.Sharon's words may hint a large scale military operation in the Gaza Strip as Israeli troops were reportedly mulling such anincursion.

Deputy Defense Minister Ze'ev Boim said on Monday that Israel had the desire to give Abbas, the newly elected Palestinian National Authority Chairman, a "grace period" of no more than 100 days to rein in militants.

The army will have no alternative but to launch a widespread operation in the Gaza Strip if Abbas fails to act against terrorists and prevent attacks on Israel within the period, Boim said.

The scale of the operation will resemble that of Operation Days of Repentance, which was launched last September in Gaza.During the three-week operation, Israeli troops incurred deep inside the northern Gaza Strip, relying heavily on air power, with missiles fired by helicopters at Palestinian militants attempting to launch attacks.

More than 100 Palestinians, mostly civilians, were killed in the operation.

Meanwhile, Abbas has arrived in the Gaza Strip on Tuesday afternoon and is scheduled to hold talks with Palestinian militant groups in an apparent effort to curb violence so as to pave the way for the resumption of peace negotiations with Israel.

Source: Xinhua