The right-wing parties strongly attacked Prime Minister Ehud Olmert on Sunday for accepting a cease-fire agreement with the Palestinian Authority, and warned that the militant organizations would take advantage of this hiatus to grow stronger in advance of a renewal of
violent actions against Israel.

MK Silvan Shalom (Likud) said that "the cease-fire reminds me of [UN] Resolution 1701. We are playing make believe. The cease-fire is imaginary. It will give the Hamas time to get reorganized."

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MK Yuval Steinitz (Likud) called on the government to rescind its agreement to a cease-fire, saying: "Israel is missing a golden opportunity to carry out a Defensive Shield 2 [broad ground offensive] in the Gaza Strip, and is in essence enabling the creation of a threat, Hezbollah-style, in the south of the country."

MK Zevulun Orlev (National Religious Party) said that the Palestinians' actions show that a cease-fire exists only between launches of Qassam rockets. He agreed with Steinitz that Israel will not be able to avoid embarking on a major military operation in the Strip.

MK Aryeh Eldad (National Union-NRP) said that the prime minister and Defense Minister Amir Peretz did not have an "accident" during the summer - referring to the failures of the war in Lebanon - rather, "they are simply serial blunderers."

"Only the reoccupation of the Gaza Strip and the eradication of the terrorist infrastructure will bring about calm," declared MK Benny Elon (National Union).