Arab terrorists have attacked Israel with 988 rockets and 1,046 mortar shells since January, according to statistics complied by the Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center. More than 200 people suffered injuries in the attacks, and in the week ending this past Monday, 17 rockets were fired.

Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Defense Minister Ehud Barak have threatened for more than a year that they will order an all-out counterterrorist attack on the Gaza terrorist infrastructure. The Prime Minister has said his government will not tolerate the terrorist attacks.