During a meeting with senior officials, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert instructed them to avoid speaking publicly about a ceasefire with Hamas, but to continue with the military offensive intended to crush Hamas.

Attending the high-level assessment were Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni, Defense Minister Ehud Barak, IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Gabi Ashkenazi, Mossad Director Meir Dagan and ISA (Israel Security Agency – Shin Bet) Director Yuval Diskin.

(Yechiel Spira – YWN Israel)