Fox journalists freed in Gaza
The men were taken hostage on August 14th
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Sunday, 27, Aug 2006 08:10
Two journalists held hostage by militants in the Gaza Strip for almost two weeks have today been freed unharmed, their employer Fox News has said.
Footage broadcast by the news channel showed correspondent Steve Centanni, 60, and cameraman Olaf Wiig, 36, at the Beach Hotel in Gaza City today.
The men's captors, a previously unknown group called Holy Jihad Brigades, had commanded that all Muslim prisoners in US jails be released, but the deadline for this demand to be met expired yesterday.
It is rare for foreigners to be taken captive in Gaza, and hostages are typically released within a couple of hours. Palestinian officials had issued promises in recent days that the two journalists would be released unharmed.
Earlier this week, videos released by the militant group showed Mr Wiig and Mr Centanni, who were kidnapped on August 14th, dressed in traditional Muslim attire saying they had both converted to Islam, but upon arrival at the hotel today they were wearing western clothing.
Mr Centanni later explained to Fox News that they had been forced at gunpoint to say they had converted.
"I have the highest respect for Islam, but it was something we felt we had to do because they had the guns and we didn't know what the hell was going on," he said.
But the correspondent added that despite his ordeal, he hoped that other journalists would not be discouraged from working in Gaza, describing Palestinians as "very beautiful and kind-hearted" people.
Mr Wiig echoed his colleague's comments, saying that it would be a "great tragedy for the people of Gaza" if journalists stopped reporting from the region.