Source: Johnston's captors promise to free him within 24 hours

[oberliner]

The captors of kidnapped journalist Alan Johnston have promised to release the British Broadcasting Corp. correspondent within 24 hours, a source close to the negotiations said Friday.

Hamas vowed Friday to secure Johnston's release, a promise seemingly meant to avoid alienating the outside world and to tell other armed groups in Gaza that it intends to impose order, after wresting control of the Strip from the rival Fatah by force.

Johnston, 45, was snatched in Gaza three months ago by a group believed to have some links to Hamas, and a message purporting to be from his captors has demanded the release of Islamic prisoners, including a cleric being held in Britain.

In a press conference in Gaza on Friday morning, the day after Hamas routed Fatah from Gaza Strip security installations, spokesman Abu Obeid demanded that those holding the BBC correspondent free him at once.

http://haaretz.com/hasen/spages/871519.html

[oberliner]

1. Army of Islam denies deal struck to free abducted BBC reporter

DUBAI (Reuters) - A Palestinian militant group holding BBC reporter Alan Johnston said on Sunday there was no deal to free the Briton abducted in Gaza three months ago and said he would only be released if its demands were met.

"Freeing this detainee has not been part of any deal with any faction or organisation. What appears on television screens and through the media here and there is untrue," a man identified as a spokesman for the Army of Islam in Gaza told Al Jazeera television.

"If they do not meet our demands there will be no release for that detainee and if things become more difficult ... then we would seek God's satisfaction by slaughtering this journalist," said the spokesman, identified as Abu Khatab.

http://uk.news.yahoo.com/rtrs/20070617/tpl-uk-palestinians-bbc-journalist-39349ed.html