Livni said, "Israel is looking to give its citizens a decent life, the right to live in peace and quiet like any other citizens in the world."
The foreign minister, interviewed Monday on CBS's "The Early Show," said she wishes Israel could live in peace, "but this is not the situation unfortunately."
The Bush administration has blamed the renewed violence on Hamas, which controls the Gaza Strip. The United States said Hamas broke a cease-fire by firing rockets and mortars deep into Israeli territory. The Arab world, however, has reacted with rage to the aggressive Israeli counterattacks, which has killed and injured hundreds.