Sharon tells military to increase operations

 Prime Minister Ariel Sharon said on Sunday he was giving Israel's army free rein to battle militants in Gaza and accused the new Palestinian leadership he now shuns of doing nothing to stop attacks on Israelis.

Palestinian officials said Mahmoud Abbas, sworn in as president on Saturday, would try again this week to win over fighters defying his calls for an end to a four-year-old armed uprising so as to allow talks.[hh] Sharon toughens stance:"Despite the change in Palestinian leadership, we have yet to see them taking any action against terror," Sharon told his Cabinet, two days after suspending all contacts with Abbas because of a militant attack that killed six Israelis.

"The Israeli military and security apparatus have been instructed to take any action needed without restriction to stop terror and they will continue to do so... as long as the Palestinians do not lift a finger."

Israeli media said the army might consider resuming assassinations of top militant leaders and could set up "security zones" in the Gaza Strip to prevent mortar and rocket fire aimed into Israel or at Jewish settlements.

Sharon told ministers he could hear at his ranch in southern Israel rockets landing in nearby towns, and demanded Palestinian police deploy in northern Gaza to stop the salvoes. Palestinian Foreign Minister Nabil Shaath said Abbas would go to Gaza on Wednesday to "resume discussions for peace".

Abbas, he said, would press militants to agree to a truce that would have to be reciprocated by Israel and also try to persuade them to take part in July 17 parliamentary elections.

"We have to try. If we are willing to talk with our occupiers, shouldn't we talk to our brothers? We have to continue. This is not an easy task," Shaath said.