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UK's 3 Gaza hostages go free
31/12/2005 08:50 - (SA)
Gaza City - A British humanitarian aid worker and her parents, held hostage for two days, were safely under consular protection in Israel early on Saturday after being freed unharmed by their captors in the Gaza Strip, officials said.
A previously unknown group claimed responsibility for the kidnapping of Kate Burton and her parents, Hugh and Helen, shortly after their release late on Friday.
The group, calling itself the Mujahadeen Bayt Al-Maqdes Brigades, released a video showing a masked gunman reading a statement, with Burton, 24, standing silently next to him with her hands behind her back.
"We have decided to pardon the three Britons as a gesture of goodwill in return for a seriousness in answering our demands," said the unidentified man.
The foreign office in London confirmed early on Saturday that the three Britons, taken hostage on Wednesday, had been released unharmed.
Safe with UK consulate-general
In a statement, the foreign office said the Burtons were "well and in good spirits".
"We are pleased to confirm that Kate, Win (Helen) and Hugh Burton have been released unharmed.
"They are with officials in our consulate-general in Jerusalem who are providing them with all necessary help and care," it said.
"We condemn all kidnappings which can never be a legitimate means of achieving any objective.
"Since we first heard of the Burtons' abduction, the British government has worked closely with the Palestinian Authority and others.
"We would like to express our thanks and appreciation to all those who helped secure the release of the Burtons."
The Burtons' extended family in Britain also released a statement through the foreign office in which they expressed their joy at their relatives' release.
Kate and her parents was abducted at gunpoint on Wednesday close to the Rafah border crossing into Egypt from the southern Gaza Strip.
Their capture was greeted with anger and dismay by many ordinary Palestinians and also their political leaders who were trying to attract aid workers to the Gaza Strip.
Chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erakat branded the abductions as "shameful" and damaging to Palestinian interests.
"I'm happy that this despicable, shameful act is over. These people are friends and I hope that this will be the last (such event)," he said.
Threat to kidnap EU monitors
The group which claimed to have kidnapped the three called for Israel's withdrawal from the West Bank and an end to the de-facto "no-go zone" established by Israel north of the Gaza Strip to prevent rocket fire on Israeli territory.
It also demanded an end to the Israeli policy of targeted killings, the release of Palestinian prisoners and a guarantee of free elections in East Jerusalem next month.
The group threatened to kidnap European Union vote monitors due in the territories next month unless their demands were met.
- AFP
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