Greece on Thursday expressed concern over the new wave of violence in the Gaza Strip, saying that any violence would not do good to the peace process.

At a regular press briefing, Foreign Ministry Spokesman George Koumoutsakos said that peace and a resolution of the Mideast problem cannot be solved with "military operations or abductions."

"Greece believes that calm-headedness and self-control by all is necessary in this period. We continue to back efforts by the international community for peace and a solution, and of course, for a continuation and implementation of the 'road map'," he added.

Israel launched the Summer Rain operation in the Gaza Strip on 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.

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 Palestinian cabinet, including Labor Minister Muhammad Barghouti, Finance Minister Omar Abdel Razek, Minister of Jerusalem Affairs Khaled Abu Arfa.

Source: Xinhua