Kidnappers reduce their demands in talks to free BBC reporter

ISMAIL Haniyeh, the Palestinian prime minister, yesterday reported progress in efforts to free the Scottish BBC reporter Alan Johnston, saying negotiators had persuaded the captors to reduce their demands.

Mr Haniyeh also said the government had considered a raid on the hideout where kidnappers are believed to be holding Mr Johnston, but said the British government had asked Palestine not to use force.

Mr Haniyeh suggested the kidnappers belonged to an Islamic extremist group. The kidnappers mixed "politics, ideology and [Islamic] religious law ... to think that this work [kidnapping] is allowed," he said.

The prime minister said a messenger sent his office ten ideological questions posed by the kidnappers about the legitimacy under Islamic law of taking Mr Johnston hostage.

Mr Haniyeh said Islamic religious experts were called in to answer the questions and, through "debate and study, the demands were reduced to three". He said they were not related to Palestinian politics.

Mr Johnston, 44, was kidnapped on 12 March in Gaza City. Mr Haniyeh, from Islamic Hamas, said the kidnappers reduced their original demands, confirming earlier reports that officials were in negotiations with them. He did not say what the demands were.

It was the first time the prime minister has spoken at length regarding the government's efforts to free Mr Johnston, who has spent more than 50 days in captivity - much longer than any other foreigner kidnapped in Gaza. Mr Haniyeh said his office was trying to negotiate a meeting with the kidnappers or their representatives.

The prime minister said officials had "seriously" considered using force to raid the area where they believed Mr Johnston was being held, but the British government requested they not use violence, fearing harm could come to the reporter.

Palestinian officials, including the president, Mahmoud Abbas, have said they believe that Mr Johnston is in good health, though they have not presented evidence. A little-known Palestinian group claimed in April to have killed Mr Johnston.

The BBC said it could not comment on Mr Haniyeh's remarks about negotiations. "We continue to be told by Palestinian authorities that they are doing everything they can to release Alan," said Simon Wilson, editor of the news organisation's Middle East bureau. "It's not appropriate to comment on other people's contacts."

There has been a string of kidnappings of foreign journalists by Gaza militants over the past two years. No-one has been charged or arrested in previous kidnappings.