A spokesman for Palestinian Hamas-led government condemned on Wednesday Israeli offensive against the Gaza Strip started at predawn.

"This operation is unjustified and will draw Israel into military risk that could lead to many aftermaths," Ghazi Hamad told reporters in Gaza, adding "so far, it is proved that Israel can't achieve what it wants through this wide campaign."

"As usual, Israel rapidly resorts to military escalation to turn the situation into new bloody conflict," he said, holding Israel responsible for the outcomes of its strikes.

Hamad also noted that there was a series of political efforts and contacts underway "to peacefully solve the crisis of the abducted soldier and prevent an military escalation."

Israeli troops carried out a broad ground operation dubbed " Summer Rain" early Wednesday to secure the return of a soldier abducted on Sunday by Palestinian militants.

It is the first major ground offensive by the Israeli army since Israel withdrew troops and settlers from the entire Gaza Strip last summer after 38 years of occupation.

The 19-year-old Israeli Corporal Gilad Shalit was seized in an deadly attack carried out on Sunday by militants from Hamas' armed wing Izz el-Deen al-Qassam Brigades, the Popular Resistance Committees (PRC) and its offshoot the Islamic Army on an Israeli army post near a southern Gaza border crossing.

Two other Israeli soldiers were killed and four wounded in the attack. Two Palestinian militants were also shot dead in the gunbattle with Israeli forces.

Source: Xinhua