Among the victims of the air strikes carried out by Israel Defense Forces (IDF) in Gaza was Majed al-Harazin, the senior military commander of Islamic Jihad's military wing. Three field commanders from the same group, believed to be responsible for hundreds of rockets launched at Israel, were also killed in the attacks.
"We will continue to seek out the heads of the terror organizations," Olmert told members of his Kadima Party on Tuesday. "We will get all those who are responsible for firing rockets. The terror organizations feel this and will feel this in full force in the near future," he said. "This war will not end."
He added that the Israeli military had killed some 200 militants in recent months.
Palestinian militants promised to avenge the death of their brothers-in-arms with new rocket strikes and a wave of "martyrdom operations," or suicide bombings.
Meanwhile, Islamic Jihad has ordered its members to stop using cars and other vehicles and to switch off mobile phones and remove the batteries from them to avoid being located by Israeli special services.
Islamic group Hamas seized control of Gaza from the pro-presidential Fatah movement in June after months of infighting. In September, Israel declared Gaza, with a population of 1.5 million, an "enemy entity."