In the wake of a Qassam rocket attack that killed an Israeli man in the western Negev town of Sderot earlier in the day, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert stressed on Sunday that Israel would continue targeting Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip to halt the rocket attacks.

Israel would "act without a time limit and will not be subject to conditions from any outside source," Olmert said.

A 35-year-old man was killed Sunday morning by a Qassam rocket that slammed into the road near his car in Sderot, which marked the second Israeli fatality since the surge in Qassam fire that began several weeks ago.

As Qassam attacks by Palestinian militants on Israel continued, Israeli political and military strategists firmly opine that the ongoing conflict is far from reaching a resolution.

In an interview with Xinhua, Dr. Dan Schueftan, Deputy-Director of the National Security Study Center in Haifa University, said that a classic military triumph to Israel is not within reach, only several actions to oppress the Palestinian militant activities more effectively.

"I think the (Israeli) government will adopt the targeted killings within the Palestinian political and the military leadership, the siege on Gaza will be tightened and we can expect a limited military operation inside the Gaza Strip, without occupying it again," said Schueftan.

Schueftan added "we can't expect winning but if Israel doesn't act, sooner or later we will have to handle another Lebanon War in Gaza."

Sunday's rocket fire also followed three overnight Israel AirForce strikes against Hamas targets in Gaza.

Israel has launched dozens of targeted missile strikes over the past 10 days that have killed at least 48 Palestinians and damaged many Hamas installations in an attempt to stop the rocket fire from Gaza at Israeli border towns.

However, Professor Sattar Kassem of Political Science at the An-Najah National University, who lives in Nablus, strengthens the argument in a telephone interview with Xinhua that the conflict would continue.

"The fighting will continue and I don't think that there will be peace," said Kassem.

"We think that we will not have a long lasting truce and the Qassam firing will continue. The efficiency of the rockets will improve, they (Palestinian militants) are working very hard to improve them," said the professor.

Meanwhile, Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni said on Sunday that any cease-fire agreement with the Palestinians must include an end to arms smuggling across the Gaza-Egypt border.

Specialists agree on the immediate need to take over the so-called Philadelphi Corridor, located between the Gaza Strip and the Egyptian Sinai Peninsula, which is believed to be the lifeline of Palestinian militants for smuggling ammunition, weapons and money into the Gaza Strip, according to an intelligence official.

Dr. Raanan Gissin, the Senior Adviser to former Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, is convinced that Israel's response should be decisive, long-term and constant.

"Olmert's government has to make sure that Hamas understands that Israel is ready and will fight them," Gissin told Xinhua.

"The Qassam rockets, for instance, became a symbol and therefore, the Israeli government should declare that anyone who produces, transfers or fires Qassam rockets puts his life at stake," Gissin said, adding "Israel should set a menu and tariffs for any attack on its residents, facilities or factories."

However, some experts believe that Olmert's government has been greatly weakened by last summer's Israel-Hezbollah conflict in southern Lebanon, which was called the Second Lebanon War by Israel, and would be criticized whether it decides to react or not to react forcefully. This dictates the uncertainty of the moves of the Israeli government.

An Israeli government-appointed committee probing the shortcomings in the Second Lebanon War have held Olmert, Defense Minister Amir Peretz and former Chief of Staff Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) Dan Halutz responsible for a number of failures during the war.

Israeli officials expect the international pressure and diplomacy to step in before an Israeli ground operation within Gaza would be unavoidable.

"Right now, the international community and the moderate Arab world have in their power to prevent an escalation," said one Israeli official on condition of anonymity.

"Even though Israel is not interested in a large military ground operation, its right to protect its citizens is not questionable and the world couldn't expect it to be different," the official added.