Jerusalem - Fearing that the Middle East will be irreparably changed, Israeli opposition leader Benjamin Netanyahu asked British Foreign Secretary David Miliband, earlier today, to stop Iran from obtaining an atom bomb.

Miliband, who arrived in Israel Sunday for a two-day visit, met Netanyahu, a leading candidate to win Israeli elections on February 10, in Jerusalem Monday morning, Israel Radio reported.

Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni, also a leading candidate in the elections, earlier told Miliband that Israel expected the international community's support for its responses to renewed rocket fire from Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip.

The European Union over the weekend had harshly criticized Israel for closing off the Gaza Strip to fuel and all but the bare minimum of humanitarian aid in response to the rocket attacks.

"These are difficult days. While we are speaking here Israeli citizens are under attack by Hamas," Livni told Miliband late Sunday.

"Israel cannot just sit by and watch as its citizens are attacked," a statement from her office quoted her as saying.

"Hamas is taking advantage of the situation in Gaza to try and garner international support. The international community must make it clear that this is unacceptable."

Netanyahu, of the hardline Likud party, and Livni, of the centrist, ruling Kadima party, are in a neck-to-neck race ahead of the Israeli elections, which are to be held a year ahead of schedule following caretaker Premier Ehud Olmert's resignation.