Defense Minister Ehud Barak issued a statement to the media on Saturday night following the beginning of ground operations in Gaza. The Gaza operation “will not be easy. It will not be short,” Barak said.

Barak said the decision to carry out a ground operation had not been easy, but that a major Gaza operation was inevitable. “This is our obligation and our responsibility to the citizens of this country. We're not happy to go to war, but we cannot abandon our citizens to rocket fire.”

Barak referred to threats from Hizbullah, saying, “We hope the northern front will remain calm, but we are prepared for all possible scenarios.”