Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni on Monday said that the assault on Gaza's terrorist infrastructure should signal to Hamas and the world that the era of Israeli restraint has come to an end.
Israel's offensive in response to years of Hamas rocket fire is intended to "change the equation" in the region, Livni told reporters after meeting with visiting European foreign ministers in Jerusalem.
Livni indicated that from this point forward, Israel will respond with great force to any aggression against its citizens.
The Europeans were in Israel to push for an immediate 48-hour ceasefire in Gaza. Livni and the rest of the Israeli leadership rejected the proposal, insisting that the only way forward is for Hamas to first stop firing rockets and to be relieved of its ability to threaten Israel.