"It is possible to stop the Qassams without conquering Gaza," Olmert told U.S presidential candidate John McCain during his tour of the rocket-battered town of Sderot, referring to the steel rockets used by Hamas.
"We will stop the Qassam attacks by the creation of deterrence in the south which will make [Gaza militants] think twice before they shoot again," the prime minister said.
Two members of a radical Palestinian group were killed and three injured in an Israeli airstrike in the north of the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip on Tuesday.
Rocket attacks from Gaza have dropped recently as attempts to reach a ceasefire agreement between Hamas and Israel continue through Egyptian mediators.
However, Olmert said he was 'skeptical' about the temporary calm in Gaza, and voiced doubts whether this could continue.
"Israel will not be able to continue suffering Qassam attacks and the fact that hundreds of thousands of its residents are living under daily missile fire. In the end, we will stop the Qassam attacks," Olmert said.
U.S. Senator John McCain said on Wednesday that he understands Israel's tough response to Palestinian rocket fire, adding that, "No nation in the world can be attacked incessantly ... without responding."
