Israel's prime minister has warned that continued rocket fire from Gaza is making another war against Palestinian militants in the coastal strip inevitible.
Benjamin Netanyahu said that plans are in place to strike Gaza and that he would decide the optimal timing of the offensive.
He claimed that Hamas are 'unwilling' to stop daily barrages.
Recent attacks from Gaza have caused no casualities.
The Israeli military has responded with limited strikes against Hamas installations that have caused no casualties and little damage, and has refrained from risking a larger conflagration as Israelis prepare to head to the polls for a general election on Tuesday, September 17.
Netanyahu has been criticised by hardliners for failing to respond harshly to the rockets, which have sent residents of southern Israel racing for cover.
The Israeli leader was himself whisked away by bodyguards from a campaign event on Tuesday when Palestinian militants fired rockets toward the area.
Israel withdrew from the Gaza Strip in 2005 and Hamas militants seized power two years later.
Israel and Hamas have fought three wars and engaged in several other rounds of violence over the past decade.
"I do not wage war unless it is a last resort and I don't risk the lives of our soldiers and citizens just to get applause," Netanyahu said in an interview with Kan Reshet Bet Radio.
"We will probably have no choice but to set out on a big campaign, a war against the terror forces in Gaza.
"I won't start it one minute before we are ready, and we are preparing for a 'different war'."
