TEHRAN: Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Saturday warned Israel against launching a fresh assault on the Gaza Strip, saying such action would bring it "closer to certain death".

Ahmadinejad's comments come a day after Israel's deputy prime minister Silvan Shalom warned of a new offensive by the Israeli military on the Hamas-ruled coastal territory unless militant rocket attacks are halted.

"They are looking for an excuse to attack Gaza. I want to tell the Zionists and their backers that enough crime has been committed already," Ahmadinejad said in a speech broadcast live on state television. "The new adventure will not save you, but will bring you closer to certain death," said Ahmadinejad, who has drawn international condemnation for repeatedly saying the Jewish state is doomed to be wiped off the map.

Ahmadinejad also rejected a renewed call from the US to engage diplomatically to overcome the nuclear standoff, saying he saw no change in Washington's hostile policy. Speaking at a factory inauguration, Ahmadinejad said a message by President Barack Obama last month contained "three or four beautiful words" but nothing new of substance. agencies

