A spokesman for Hamas' armed wing Izz el-Deen al-Qassam Brigades said on Thursday that an Israeli arrest of Hamas-led cabinet ministers and lawmakers will not "have an impact over the fate of a captive Israeli soldier."

"The occupation forces proved their failure and incapability to confront our fighters," Abu Obaida said, adding that the detention campaign in the West Bank indicates that the Israeli government was confused and blundering.

The Israeli army detained eight Hamas-led cabinet ministers and 21 lawmakers mainly representing the Hamas movement at predawn on Thursday after Palestinian militant groups refused to free an Israeli soldier who was abducted by Palestinian militants on Sunday.

Israel Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed the detention of about 60 Hamas officials, including government ministers, parliament members and activists, during a swift operation carried out throughout the West Bank and the Jerusalem area early Thursday.

Israeli Corporal Gilad Shalit was seized in a deadly attack carried out by militants from Izz el-Deen al-Qassam Brigades, the Popular Resistance Committees and its offshoot Islamic Army on an Israeli army post near a southern Gaza border crossing.

The militants, who were holding the Israeli soldier, demanded that Israel free Palestinian women and children prisoners jailed in Israeli prisons.

However, the request was rejected by Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert. The Israeli army has launched an operation dubbed " Summer Rain" against the Gaza Strip to secure the return of Shalit.

Source: Xinhua