Jan 4 (Reuters) - Israeli tanks and infantry battled Hamas fighters in the Gaza Strip on Sunday in a ground offensive launched after eight days of deadly air strikes failed to halt the Islamist group's rocket attacks on Israel. Following are comments from politicians and commentators: ISRAELI PRESIDENT SHIMON PERES: "We don't intend neither to occupy Gaza nor to crush Hamas, but to crush terror. And Hamas needs a real and serious lesson. They are now getting it ... We shall not accept the idea that Hamas will continue to fire and we shall declare a ceasefire. It does not make any sense." HAMAS OFFICIAL ISMAIL RADWAN: "We have prepared the statement of victory for you (Palestinians) ... and you will see it soon." Addressing Israeli soldiers, he said: "Gaza will not be a picnic. Gaza will be a graveyard for you." U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT SPOKESMAN SEAN MCCORMACK The U.S. State Department has told Israel's government that military action must be "mindful of the potential consequences to civilians". Washington is "deeply concerned about the humanitarian situation" in Gaza, but said Hamas holds the people of Gaza hostage. "It is obvious that that ceasefire should take place as soon as possible, but we need a ceasefire that is durable, sustainable, and not time limited." IRANIAN PARLIAMENT SPEAKER ALI LARIJANI: "The Zionists faced the powerful resistance of the zealous Palestinians ... the Zionists should know that Gaza will become their graveyard." U.N. SECRETARY-GENERAL BAN KI-MOON: Ban told Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert by telephone of his "extreme concerns and disappointment", and asked that Israel ensure the safety of civilians and allow humanitarian assistance to reach those in need. EU FOREIGN POLICY CHIEF JAVIER SOLANA: "We are ready to do everything to stop this situation which has started by the breaking of the ceasefire by Hamas ... At the end of the day this is going to be a tremendous suffering in people." FRENCH PRESIDENT NICOLAS SARKOZY TOLD LEBANESE NEWSPAPERS "We have already condemned this offensive with our European partners because it puts the chances of peace a bit further off and because it makes it more difficult to get aid to the people of Gaza. I will tell the Israeli authorities that it is absolutely essential that they let humanitarian aid into Gaza. "But I want to say that we condemn with the same firmness the continuation of rocket firing which is an unacceptable provocation. Hamas, which decided to break the truce carries a heavy responsibility for the suffering of the Palestinians of Gaza." GERMAN CHANCELLOR ANGELA MERKEL: Merkel spoke with Olmert by telephone and said a ceasefire in Gaza should be put in place as soon as possible. "The condition for this, however, is that the security of Israel is guaranteed. In particular, the smuggling of weapons into the Gaza Strip must be prevented," a statement from government spokesman Thomas Steg said. RUSSIAN PRESIDENT DMITRY MEDVEDEV Medvedev told Olmert by telephone that Russia had "serious concern over the numerous victims among the civilian population and the grave humanitarian situation" in Gaza, the Kremlin said. "The Russian president also stressed the importance of a ceasefire as soon as possible." QATAR EMIR, SHEIKH HAMAD BIN KHALIFA AL-THANI TOLD AL JAZEERA: "A word to Israel's leaders: the killing of innocent civilians and military arrogance does not lead to security for you or for us, but will instead have disastrous results." CHINESE FOREIGN MINISTRY SPOKESMAN: "China is seriously concerned with the escalating situation in the Gaza area," spokesman Qin Gang said. China urges the parties to stop military action and armed conflict immediately to prevent civilian casualties and take steps to ease humanitarian difficulties in Gaza, Xinhua news agency said. ITALIAN FOREIGN MINISTRY: "The Italian government, which even recently supported Israel's right to self-defence ... makes a heartfelt appeal to our Israeli friends so that everything possible is done to ensure the protection of civilians and the provision of humanitarian aid." BRITISH PRIME MINISTER GORDON BROWN: "What we've got to do ... is work harder than we've done for an immediate ceasefire. The Israelis must have some assurance that there are no rocket attacks coming into Israel." (Editing by Elizabeth Piper)
Palestinian demonstrators shout slogans during a protest against the Israeli attacks on Gaza in front of Catalan Government in the Sant Jaume quarter of central Barcelona January 4, 2009. The banner ...
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