Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said Sunday that, "The objective of the operation in Gaza is on – reducing Qassam fire at Israel and halting terror activities against citizens in the south of the country."
He stressed that, "That's the one and only objective … We have no intention of staying in Gaza or occupying it."
Defense Minister Amir Peretz updated ministers on the ongoing operation in Beit Hanoun.
Palestinian sources reported Saunday that a 23-year-old man was killed by IDF soldiers operating in the northern Gaza Strip.
Mahdi al-Hamdin, a member of Hamas's military wing, was killed in exchanges of fire between gunmen and soldiers in Beit Hanoun.
Olmert said: "There are casualties among the Palestinians but it is usually gunmen. Unfortunately the Palestinians are using the civilian population as a human shield. IDF forces have been ordered to operate carefully in order to prevent harming civilians."
Olmert said Israel will not allow Qassam attacks to continue, vowing to take all necessary measures to bring about a significant drop in the number of rockets fired at southern Israeli towns.
"When this objective is achieved we will leave," he said.
Vice Premier Shimon Peretz said "a bunch of lunatics" have brought trouble to Gaza and its surroundings, referring to extreme Palestinian armed groups who refuse to halt attacks against Israel.
Industry, Trade and Labor Minister Eliyahu Yishai said, "We need to destroy all lathe-shops and arms stores and tunnels. They have anti-tank missiles, missiles against jets, and they endanger the security of the Israel's citizens."