Major military Gaza offensive becoming more likely

      Israel Defense Forces Chief of Staff Gabi Ashkenazi said Wednesday that though daily strikes against Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip were having a positive impact, a major military offensive was becoming more likely. Ashkenazi spoke mere hours after a barrage of at least 15 Qassam rockets, fired from Gaza, slammed into the western Negev. Speaking at a conference in Tel Aviv on security issues, Lieutenant General Ashkenazi said that daily IDF incursions into the coastal territory were hurting militants, but could not be decisive in curbing attacks against Israel. "We are operating in Gaza on a daily basis. [On Tuesday] we returned from a broad operation - this brings a reduction in the ground threat and the firing of rockets but does not stop it," Ashkenazi said. "We will come to the point where we will have to carry out the big operation."(19,33)