Israel Defense Forces (IDF) operation against Palestinian militants in the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip will be neither short nor easy, Defense Minister Ehud Barak said Saturday evening.
　　Barak made the remarks while addressing the nation in a special televised press conference following the launch of the IDF ground incursion.
　　Barak told the nation that Israel was not eager to wage war, but could not abandon its citizens, residents of the south, who have been victimized by Hamas rockets.
　　"The campaign won't be easy and it won't be short," he said, noting that the operation entails the risking of Israeli lives. "I know well the dangers that come with an offensive, and what the heavy price will be."
　　"I don't want to fool anyone. The residents of southern Israel will also undergo some tough times," the defense minister continued.
　　He also addressed the possibility of an escalation in violence in northern Israel, along the border with Lebanon.
　　"We hope that the northern front will remain calm, but we are prepared for any possibility," he said.
　　Shortly before Barak's press conference, IDF soldiers entered Gaza, beginning the ground incursion and exchanging fire with Gaza militants.