GAZA, July 2 (Xinhua) -- Since the abduction of Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit by Palestinian militant groups a week ago, Israel has been determined to target leaders of Palestinian ruling Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas).

Israeli army continued to take military actions against Palestinian people in Gaza on June 2, 2006. (Xinhua/Reuters Photo)

    Israeli Corporal Shalit was seized last Sunday in a Hamas military wing-led raid on an Israeli army post near the Gaza-Israel border, which also left two Israeli soldiers and two assailant Palestinians dead.

    In the wake of the deadly attack, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert last Monday ordered army commanders to prepare for a prolonged and extensive military operation into the Gaza Strip. On Wednesday predawn, Israel launched a large-scale military operation called "Summer Rains" in bid to secure the safe return of the captured soldier, the largest incursion since Israel pulled out forces and settlers from the strip last summer after a 38-year-long presence there.

    The Israeli army believed that the missing soldier was still alive, vowing to spare no effort to secure his safe return. The Israeli operation has been going on, amid Israeli threats to escalate it with large ground operation into northern and southern Gaza Strip.

    In the past few days, the main power plant, major bridges, some militants' posts as well as Prime Minister Ismail Haneya and Interior Minister Said Siam's offices in Gaza have been targeted and destroyed.

    Israeli airstrikes on Haneya and Siam's offices as well as arrests of senior Hamas' leaders in the West Bank went in parallel with diplomatic efforts to end the crisis.

    Egypt has been leading heavy and intensive mediation to end the crisis, where earlier reports said that Egypt has presented a release of the abducted Shalit for a guarantee that Israel would release Palestinian prisoners later.

    However, Hamas leaders asserted that the Egyptian proposal was not accepted by the militants who still hold Shalit and insist for the immediate release of some 1,400 prisoners, including younger and female prisoners, as well as those spending life sentences, sick prisoners and other nationalities imprisoned in Israeli jails.

    Israeli Premier Ehud Olmert has also rejected the kidnappers'demands, warning that the military operation would be escalated against senior Hamas leaders if they don't free the soldier. On Sunday, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has termed the earlier predawn Israeli airstrike against Haneya's office as a criminal act.