Israel will continue with its targeted killings of Palestinian militants, Israel Defense Forces Chief of Staff Lieutenant General Dan Halutz said on Tuesday afternoon.

Halutz told the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee that the policy has proven itself to be extremely effective in curbing terror activity.

The targeted strikes will focus on Islamic Jihad members, the IDF commander said.

Speaking at the meeting Prime Minister Ariel Sharon said the targeted killings and military pressure on the terror organizations will continue.

Sharon thanked the IDF for preventing the increase in terror activity with its operational initiative.

The High Court of Justice will soon renew deliberations on a petition brought by the Public Committee against Torture protesting the IDF's policy of targeted killings of Palestinian militants in the territories since 2000.

The state prosecutor informed the High Court on Monday that it does not oppose a renew of deliberations and a ruling on the petition.

Some nine months ago, Justices Aharon Barak, Mishael Cheshin and Dorit Beinisch decided to freeze High Court debate on the petition following an announcement made by Sharon that Israel would halt its targeted killings. Sharon, speaking at the Sharm el-Sheikh summit in February, said the tactic would only be used in rare and extreme circumstances.

However, in the wake of recent targeted killings carried out by the IDF in the past weeks, the Public Committee against Torture again appealed to the High Court to renew deliberation on its petition.

The High Court will also renew debate on a petition filed by the Yesh Gvul movement demanding that a criminal investigation be launched against Halutz for ordering the use of a one-ton bomb to kill senior Hamas figure Salah Shehadeh in Gaza in July 2002. Shehadeh was killed together with 14 Palestinian civilians.

Shoulder-launched missiles smuggled into Gaza

Halutz told the Knesset that terror operatives have managed to smuggle 10 shoulder-launched missiles into the Gaza Strip over the past two years.

He also said terror elements pose threats to civilian air traffic primarily outside of Israel.

Meretz-Yahhad MK Ran Cohen demanded Halutz order a halt to the use of artillery on populated areas due to the risk it might pose to innocent civilians.