Britain's consul general in Jerusalem met with Palestinian prime minister Ismail Haniyeh on Thursday to discuss efforts to release an kidnapped British journalist, defying an EU boycott on Hamas ministers.
Richard Makepeace stated he met with Haniyeh and other senior Palestinian officials to discuss British correspondent Alan Johnston, whose fate remains unknown more than three weeks after he was abducted by gunmen in the Gaza Strip. "We hope to find a quick and peaceful solution to this unfortunate problem," Makepeace said, according to AFP.
Haniyeh spokesman Ghazi Hamad said his government was working intently in coordination with security services to secure Johnston's release. "Alan Johnston was a guest in the Palestinian territories and we are committed to his wellbeing and to securing his release as quickly as possible," Hamad said.
The British consulate in Jerusalem downplayed the importance of the meeting. The purpose of the meeting was "only to discuss the abduction of the British reporter" and "strictly for humanitarian reasons," a consulate official said.
