| Date | 12 March 2007 |
|---|---|
| Location | Gaza City, the Gaza Strip |
| Participants | Alan Johnston, BBC journalist (kidnapped) |
| Outcome | Released after 114 days in captivity |
| Accused | Army of Islam |
The kidnapping of Alan Johnston, a British journalist for the BBC, by the Army of Islam in Gaza City took place on 12 March 2007, following which Johnston was held in captivity for 114 days.[1]
His captivity led to many protests in the Palestinian territories, as well as the British government meeting a Hamas member for the first time. On 15 April, unconfirmed reports claiming that he had been murdered surfaced, later declared by Palestinian intelligence sources to be false. A tape claiming to be from Johnston's kidnappers surfaced on 8 May, leading to renewed hope that he would soon be released, and three weeks later a Hamas spokesperson spoke of his hope that Johnston would be freed quickly. Johnston then appeared in a video released online by his alleged kidnappers on 1 June.
Hopes were raised for his release in mid-June after Hamas took full control of Gaza and set a deadline for his release, but on 24 June a video of him wearing what he said was an explosive belt was released along with a warning that if attempts were made to rescue him by force it would be detonated. However, on 4 July, Johnston was freed, and left Gaza for Jerusalem.