Israel says U.N. truce call unworkable, fight goes on

JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert rejected on Friday a U.N. resolution calling for a Gaza ceasefire, saying it was "unworkable."

Noting Palestinians had fired rockets at Israel again, he said the army would continue defending Israelis.

Israel says its two-week-old offensive on the Gaza Strip is aimed at stopping rockets landing on its towns from Gaza, which is controlled by Islamist group Hamas.

"Israel has never agreed that any external entity would determine its right to defend the security of its citizens. The IDF will continue to act in order to protect the citizens of Israel and will achieve the goals that were set for the operation," said a statement issued by Olmert's media adviser.

At least 14 rockets were fired on Friday, fewer than the dozens Hamas was able to launch in the early days of the war. Hamas officials said they were looking at the U.N. resolution.

"The firing of rockets this morning at citizens in the south, only goes to show that the U.N. decision is unworkable and will not be adhered to by the murderous Palestinian organizations," Olmert's statement concluded.

Olmert's security cabinet was in session on Friday afternoon to decide whether to launch an escalation of the offensive on Hamas gunmen by moving large numbers of reserve troops in a third phase deep into urban areas in Gaza.

(Writing by Ori Lewis; editing by Philippa Fletcher)