Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni told US military envoy General James Jones Thursday that Israel has to deal with threats from Gaza before a Palestinian Authority state is established.

"We must provide an actual response to the threat emerging from Gaza before the inception of a Palestinian state," said Livni, adding that Israel's security is a priority, especially if PA Arabs view Gaza as a part of any future state.

The discussion came as Kassam rockets and mortar shells fired by terrorists in Gaza continued to rain down on Jewish communities in the western Negev.