An example of total rejection of reality:

Defense Minister and Labor leader Ehud Barak said that despite the continued rocket fire, Hamas was still interested in maintaining a state of calm in Gaza.

"We hit Hamas very hard, and it is picking up the pieces right now," Barak said during a tour of the North. "It is really interested in quiet, but the rocket fire is a fact, and we cannot ignore facts."

Barak also warned that continued rocket fire would be met with a harsh response, "harsher even" than Operation Cast Lead.