Israel has let it be known that if the ceasefire with the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip collapses, the result will be a renewed and harsher military response.
"I know some people are expecting more severe military action," Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told a press conference, "and perhaps we may need to do this, but at this time the right thing for the state of Israel to do is to use this opportunity to achieve a long-lasting ceasefire."
Defence Minister Ehud Barak added that the Israeli offensive had achieved its objectives.
