By Xinhua
Jerusalem : Referring to the ongoing rocket fire and mortar shelling at Israel by Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said on Tuesday that a war is waging in southern Israel.
During a visit to towns on the periphery of the Gaza Strip, the prime minister was quoted by local Ha’aretz as saying that “In the south of this country a war is taking place and people in the center do not always feel this or understand it.”
Olmert also visited the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) Gaza Division where he was briefed on IDF’s activity in the area by heads of the defense establishment.
The prime minister was accompanied by Defense Minister Ehud Barak, Deputy Defense Minister Matan Vilnai, IDF Chief of Staff Lieutenant-General Gabi Ashkenazi.
Most Israeli victims of rocket attacks in Gaza periphery areas suffer from shock, while some others have been treated for light or moderate wounds.
In response to the attacks, the IDF has stepped up its air and ground operations on Gaza, targeting militants launching rockets. In its most recent response, Israel Air Force warplanes attacked a convoy of Hamas armored vehicle in the Gaza Strip late Sunday, wounding four militants.
Israeli officials said earlier this week that Israel would not tolerate the continued threat to its security, exacerbated by Hamas militants’ breach of Gaza Strip’s border with Egypt. Following the border breach, Israeli defense establishment have expressed concerns that militants from Gaza Strip may attack towns along Israel’s long border with Sinai.