Tel Aviv - Israeli opposition leader Tzipi Livni called Thursday on Premier Benjamin Netanyahu to distance himself from remarks by his new foreign minister Avigdor Lieberman rejecting the Annapolis peace process between Israel and the Palestinians.

"When something so dramatic is said and does not receive a response, it either reflects weakness on the part of Bibi (Netanyahu's nickname) or he actually believes it," she told Israel Army Radio.

Tel Aviv  - Her Kadima party may have won the most seats in Israel's February 10 election, but as the Israeli government is sworn in, Tzipi Livni finds herself the big loser, moving from the high- profile foreign ministry to the opposition front bench in parliament.

At least for the short term.

Tel Aviv - Providing humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip needs to be done in a way that does not boost the Islamist Hamas movement which administers the salient, outgoing Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni said Thursday.

Speaking as she was about to meet newly-appointed US envoy George Mitchell, she said her parley with the former senator would focus on an upcoming conference on aid for the Gaza Strip, which begins in Egypt on Monday.

"Israel believes it is important to help their material needs. This must be done in a way that doesn't strengthen Hamas," she said.

Jerusalem  - Outgoing Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni said Sunday that her centrist Kadima faction should be charged with forming the next government, even though it won only one mandate more in last Tuesday's elections than its hawkish rival, the Likud Party.

Final election results, released Thursday night, showed Kadima won 28 mandates in the 120-seat Knesset.

The Likud, under former premier Benjamin Netanyahu, won 27 seats, but the right-wing block, which the Likud leads, won an overall 65 seats, enough to prevent Livni from forming a coalition government.

Both Livni and Netanyahu have claimed victory in the elections.

Tel Aviv  - Whether opposition leader Benjamin Netanyahu or Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni assumes the task of forming the next Israeli government, a tough and complicated process lies ahead.

The close results of Tuesday's elections created a political limbo and prompted both the underdog Livni of the centrist Kadima and the favourite Netanyahu of the hardline Likud to claim victory.

Livni, 50, said she won because her party won the most (28) mandates and retained its position as the largest party in the 120- seat Knesset.

Tel Aviv  - A minister of the Kadima party of Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni, the narrow winner of Israel's elections, on Wednesday said he supported forming a grand coalition with the hardline Likud party in view of the close result.

Interior Minister Meir Sheetrit told Israeli radio early Wednesday that such a government should be led by Livni. A rotation of the premiership between Livni and Likud leader former premier Benjamin Netanyahu, as in 1984 after a similar election outcome, was not practicable, he said.