The heavy Israeli military incursion in Gaza on Wednesday, entitled "Autumn Rains", produced nine casualties, including an Israeli soldier, as well as tens of wounded, which was in turn termed by Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas and Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Hanyieh as a "massacre" yesterday.

In addition to this, Israeli officials announced that a meeting of the Israeli security cabinet to debate whether or not to expand military operations in the Strip in order to pressure the Hamas government to release Cpl Gilad Shalit, concluded that the large-scale operations that they intend to develop would have to be delayed until Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert completes his visit to Washington in mid-November.

The cabinet also rejected a series of proposals of Israeli military leaders, according to which a corridor between Gaza and Egypt border, also known as the Philadelphi axis, would have been reoccupied.

As far as "strategic threats" minister, far-right Israel Beiteinu Party leader Avigdor Lieberman, is concerned, he insisted upon the fact that Israel should take the example of the Russian Army's behavior in Chechnya and employ it as well in Gaza.

On the other hand, the leader of the Meretz left-wing Party, Yossi Beilin, replied that the heightened pressure that Israel wants to deliver to the Palestinian government would not produce any positive effects, such as the suspension of the Qassam rocket fire or the release of the Israeli soldier kidnapped on June 25th, but should instead pledge 60 million dollar worth of a month of duties that has been frozen from the Palestinian cabinet, in exchange for the halting of the rockets being fired, since that would find more appeal with the Palestinians than violence.

However, according to government spokeswoman Miri Eisin, Israel would continue its "pinpoint" attacks against the launching of rockets from Gaza and the weapons smuggling, for the time being.