Prime Minister Ehud Olmert told his Kadima party caucus Monday afternoon that "there is a war in the south against terrorism and this is a continuing war in which we will fight with all our strength." Last week, following the publication of the Winograd Committee report on the government and military role in the Second Lebanon War, Prime Minister Olmert stated that the security of Israel has never been better.

He did not respond to a statement by the leader of his Shas coalition partner, Industry, Trade and Labor Minister Eli Yishai, calling on the government to consider halting negotiations with the Palestinian Authority (PA) following the suicide bombing in Dimona. PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas denounced the attack but coupled his condemnation with the Israeli counter terrorist action in Jenin Monday morning, in which two terrorists were killed.