(Communicated by the Prime Minister’s Media Adviser)
The Ministerial Committee on National Security Affairs met this afternoon (Friday), 9 January 2009, in order to discuss the continuation of IDF operations in the Gaza Strip. The Committee was briefed by senior security establishment officials, including on Maj.-Gen. Amos Gilad's meetings in Cairo. The discussion also focused on UN Security Council Resolution 1860, which urgently determined the need to create a mechanism to prevent the smuggling of war materiel and to establish a stable ceasefire, as conditions for the departure of IDF forces from the Gaza Strip, and called for the cessation of terrorist actions against Israel.
It should be noted that since this morning, the terrorist organizations have continued to fire rockets at Israeli communities. The State of Israel has the right to defend its citizens and, to this end, the IDF will continue acting in order to attain the goals of the operation, i.e. changing the security reality in southern Israel, in accordance with the plans that were approved at the beginning of the operation. Operations will also continue to prevent the smuggling of war materiel into the Gaza Strip.
It was also decided that the humanitarian activity being carried out by Israel for the benefit of the residents of Gaza would continue.