Hamas demands Johnston release
Alan Johnston said he was being treated well in the video
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Friday, 15, Jun 2007 12:50
Kidnapped BBC journalist Alan Johnston should be released from captivity, Palestinian militant group Hamas has said.
As the current violence and internecine fighting in the Gaza Strip continues, Hamas spokesperson Abu Ubaida called for the veteran reporter to be released "immediately" in a crowded press conference.
"We will no longer allow the situation of his captivity to carry on," he said.
"He is the guest of the Palestinian people and he should be welcome in our midst."
A video tape purporting to be from Johnston's captors was released to an Arabic television station earlier this month.
It showed the 45-year-old, who was abducted at gunpoint in Gaza on March 12th, explaining he was in good health and was being treated well.
Despite calls from the international community, protests around the world and pressure from Palestinian leaders, Johnston's captors are yet to respond to calls for the journalist's release.
Palestinian prime minister Ismail Haniyeh, leader of Hamas' political party, is among those who have called for his release but it is not clear, in Gaza's current climate, to what extent Mr Ubaida is acting in concert with his party's leader.