Israeli forces continued air and ground operations against the Gaza Strip and the West Bank early Thursday, detaining dozens of officials from the Hamas-led cabinet.

Israeli security forces detained Palestinian Labor Minister Muhammad Barghouti, Finance Minister Omar Abdel Razek, Minister of Jerusalem Affairs Khaled Abu Arfa and many other officials, Palestinian security officials said.

Meanwhile, the mayor of the West Bank town of Qalqilya and his deputy were also seized, security officials said.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed that at least 60 Hamas government ministers, parliament members and activists were arrested during a swift operation carried out shortly after midnight in Ramallah, Nablus, Qalqilya, Jenin and Jerusalem.

Palestinian security sources said that Israeli tanks and armored vehicles thrust at predawn on Thursday into northeast Gaza Strip, taking positions east of Jabalya area in northern Gaza Strip.

Israel carried out the Summer Rain operation early Wednesday in a bid to rescue an Israeli soldier kidnapped by Palestinian militants during a cross-border raid on an Israeli army post on Sunday.

Two Israeli soldiers and two Palestinian militants were also killed in the Sunday gunbattle.

Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has vowed to take "extreme actions" to bring the kidnapped soldier home.

Source: Xinhua