Palestinian Foreign Minister and senior Hamas member Mahmoud al-Zahar said on Thursday that the only way to solve the abduction of three Israeli soldiers by Palestinian and Lebanon's Hizbollah militants was the Israeli release of prisoners.

Urging the Israeli government to "resort to reason", Zahar said, "Israel has the key to solving the problem and it can easily release prisoners and everything will be over."

He also warned that the ongoing Israeli massive offensive in Gaza aimed to rescue an Israeli soldier kidnapped by Palestinian militants on June 25 would "only be counterproductive."

"All sorts of the Israeli escalation of violence will bring no peace," he said. "Destroying infrastructure, arresting (Hamas) ministers and assassinating people will not intimidate us. This will only plant seeds of hatred, not only in the Arab and Muslim world but throughout the entire globe."

The Palestinian foreign minister also dismissed the Israeli allegations that the Hamas-led Palestinian government was responsible for the abduction of the Israeli soldier by Gazan gunmen.

Hamas' armed wing took part in the abduction on June 25, but the Palestinian government led by Hamas denied ordering the kidnapping or having any foreknowledge.

Israeli troops continued a large-scale air and ground offensive in the Gaza Strip on Thursday in a bid to free the kidnapped 19- year-old Gilad Shalit and halt Palestinian rocket attacks.

Early on Thursday, Israeli planes fired missiles at the office building of the Palestinian Foreign Ministry, wounding about six people.

Meanwhile, Israel continued airstrikes on Lebanon and blockaded Lebanese sea ports after Hizbollah militia seized two Israeli soldiers and killed eight on Wednesday.

Both the Palestinian militants and Hizbollah demanded Israel release Palestinian and Arab prisoners held in Israeli jails, but Israel rejected it, insisting on an unconditional release of the kidnapped soldiers.

Source: Xinhua