Special report: Palestine-Israel Relations

    JERUSALEM, Nov. 29 (Xinhua) -- Israel is nearing a wide-scale operation in the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip, a senior Israeli defense official warned Saturday.

    "There's no doubt we are getting closer to a wide-scale operation in Gaza, but it will be different from what took place in the past," Deputy Defense Minister Matan Vilnai was quoted by local news service Ynet as saying during an event in the southern Israeli city of Beersheba.

    The Egyptian-brokered ceasefire between Israel and Gaza militant groups is important "to us and to them, as we control the crossings and the other side is afraid of the strength of Israel Defense Forces (IDF)," said Vilnai, noting that "we must find the right time for an operation. Their provocations are not leaving us with much choice."

    Turning to the peace talks with the Palestinians, Vilnai said that Hamas is not a partner for a dialogue as long as it does not recognize Israel.

    The only vision Israel is facing at the moment is Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, but the tragedy is that Abbas is getting weaker, said the deputy defense minister.

    "We must know that the only solution is reaching an understanding with the Palestinians. We must work with every element on the Palestinian side we can talk to, but in Gaza there's no one to talk to and the only language there is military power," he said.

    Vilnai made the remarks several hours after eight IDF soldiers were injured Friday in mortar shell attacks on the Nahal Oz base in southern Israel.

    On Saturday, Hamas claimed responsibility for Friday night's shelling of the Israeli army base near Gaza, which wounded 8 Israeli soldiers.

    "At 21:00 Friday, our holy fighters fired three heavy mortar shells at Nahal Oz military base in eastern Gaza city," Hamas' armed wing, Ezz el-Deen al-Qassam, said in a statement sent to the press.

    The Israeli soldiers in Nahal Oz base take control of security at the nearby crossing through which fuel shipments to Gaza are delivered.

    Israel has been closing Gaza border crossings since Nov. 4 after its soldiers and Palestinian militants in Gaza engaged each other in southeast Gaza, rocking the ceasefire, which took effect in June and will expire next month.