Kidnappers of BBC reporter reduce demands: Haneya

Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haneya of Hamas revealed on Wednesday that kidnappers of British BBC reporter in Gaza had reduced their demands to three from the previous seven.

The kidnappers, a group of youths puzzled by ideological beliefs, had reduced their demands from the previous seven demands which were "unrelated to our Palestinian struggle" to three, Haneya said at a launching ceremony of a Palestinian daily close to Hamas.

The government had rejected their demands, he added without elaboration on the demands.

Earlier in the day, a London-based Arabic daily reported that the kidnappers of Johnston demanded the release of an Iraqi would- be suicide bomber who is jailed in Jordan after failing to blow herself up in a hotel in Amman.

Haneya, meanwhile, announced that Palestinian security agencies have set up a joint operation office to work for freeing the British journalist, but he ruled out any use of force upon a request by the British government to maintain Johnston's live.

Johnston, 44, was the only foreign reporter based full time in the Gaza Strip. He was kidnapped at gunpoint on March 12 and became the longest-held foreign hostage.

Source: Xinhua