The Palestinian group of the Army of Islam in Gaza on Sunday
denied any deal had been reached between the group and any other
factions on freeing captive BBC reporter Alan Johnston and even
threatened to kill him if their condition could not be met.
A masked young man identifying himself as Abu Khatab from the
group said in a videotape as he was holding a rifle in an
agricultural fields in Gaza that no deal had been reached on the
release of Johnston, adding "what had been earlier reported is
totally untrue."
Hamas said earlier in the day that Johnston would be released
"soon."
But he confirmed that his group was in contact with the Islamist
movement of Hamas whose fighters took control of Gaza Strip since
Friday, saying "things are developing and we would brief you on any
development."
"There are talks and there are sessions, one after the other",
said Abu Khatab, adding "our demands are still the same, free our
prisoners, including the Palestinian Abu Qutada," who is a
Jordanian of Palestinian origin accused of having links to
terrorist groups.
"In case our demands are not answered, and in case more pressure
is exerted on us, we would slaughter this journalist," said Abu
Khatab.
Earlier on Sunday, al-Qassam Brigades, Islamic Hamas movement's
armed wing said they didn't rule out the possibility of using force
to free Johnston.
In a move to convince local residents that it could restore law
and order in the Strip after taking control of it, Hamas has called
for an immediate release of Johnston.
On March 12, members of the Army of Islam, which is supported by
a Gaza clan, kidnapped Johnston as he was leaving his office going
home.
Two weeks ago, Johnston showed up for the first time in a
videotape, in which he spoke in English about the hard situation in
Gaza and blamed his government for keeping the embargo imposed on
the Palestinians.
(Xinhua News Agency June 18, 2007)
