The Arab League (AL) on Thursday strongly condemned the Israeli military operations in the Gaza Strip as "collective punishment on the Palestinians and state terrorism".

A statement issued after an urgent meeting of permanent delegates of 22 Arab states said that the military operations launched by the Israeli occupation forces were aimed to destroy all diplomatic and political efforts made by concerned parties to defuse ongoing tension between the Palestinians and Israel.

The statement refuted Israel's claim that military operations were launched for self-defense.

Such operations were taking place inside the Palestinian territory, which was a flagrant violation of the Palestinian rights in accordance with the UN Charter as well as the relevant international legitimacy resolutions, it added.

The AL called on the Middle East Quartet, which comprises the United States, the European Union, Russia and the United Nations, to take immediate action to stop Israeli military operations in the Gaza Strip and West Bank.

Israel launched "Operation Summer Rains" in the Gaza Strip on Wednesday after an Israeli soldier was kidnapped by Palestinian militants during a predawn attack on a military post near Gaza border on Sunday.

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

The statement also condemned the intrusion into Syria by Israel 's warplanes early on Wednesday.

The statement said that such overflight represented a provocation and threat to Syria, which also posed a great threat to regional and international security.

The overflight came when Israeli Justice Minister Haim Ramon said on Wednesday that the exiled Hamas politburo chief Khaled Mashaal in Damascus was a target of assassination for ordering the kidnapping of the Israeli soldier.

Source: Xinhua