Release of human rights worker in Gaza announced
-30/12/05
Palestinian security forces
Release of human rights worker in Gaza announced
-30/12/05
Palestinian security forces and a local NGO are reporting the imminent release of a human rights worker and her parents after two days of being held captive in the southern Gaza Strip.
Kate Burton, aged 24, who works for the al-Mezan Centre for Human Rights in Rafah, was seized with her parents, Hugh and Win Burton, from Belgium, by an unknown group on Wednesday.
Gunmen stopped the Burtonsí car near the Palestinian border with Egypt and forced its three occupants into a white Mercedes car.
Amid confusion and growing concern, a local security official confirmed earlier today that Palestinian police were negotiating with the group believed to be behind the kidnappings.
This evening al-Mezan said it had confirmed that the Burtonís had been confirmed as being safe ñ and that details of their release were being negotiated.
The past 24 hours has seen a renewal of diplomatic activity after the initial failure of the security forces in the area to discover the identity, motives and demands of the group who had kidnapped the three Britons.
Kate Burton had been working for three months at al-Mezan, which monitors human rights violations, provides legal aid and seeks to promote democracy.
The incident is the latest in a series of abductions in Gaza, all of which have ended with the hostages being released unharmed. Fourteen international workers and volunteers are among those captured.
Recognised Palestinian and Islamic militants have been unanimous in their condemnation of the kidnapping of those they see as ìfriends of Palestineî.
That was the phrase used earlier today by the al-Aqsa Brigades in a television broadcast. Hamas had also called for their release.
Meanwhile the Muslim Association of Britain had announced that it was sending a release envoy, as it did in the case of Norman Kember, the British activist still missing in Iraq together with three other members of Christian Peacemaker Teams.
The two abductions are entirely unrelated, regional experts stress.
Win Burton, Kateís mother, was until quite recently the coordinator of the European Union ëSoul for Europeí programme in Brussels, which promotes spiritual values in the EU.
She has also worked ecumenically and at an inter-faith level across the Union, being an expert on religious issues.
She and Kateís father, Hugh Burton, were proud of the human rights work their daughter was undertaking in Gaza, and had gone to visit her and to see the region.
Chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat told BBC News 24 this evening that the Burtons were ìall safe and wellî and on their way to Gaza City.
He added that he hoped this would be the last such incident, as kidnapping harmed the Palestiniansí interests.
ìI am happy this despicable and shameful act is over,î he declared.
The UK Foreign office says that it is investigating reports of the imminent release and will ìcontinue to monitor the situationî.
Release of human rights worker in Gaza announced
-30/12/05
Palestinian security forces and a local NGO are reporting the imminent release of a human rights worker and her parents after two days of being held captive in the southern Gaza Strip.
Kate Burton, aged 24, who works for the al-Mezan Centre for Human Rights in Rafah, was seized with her parents, Hugh and Win Burton, from Belgium, by an unknown group on Wednesday.
Gunmen stopped the Burtons’ car near the Palestinian border with Egypt and forced its three occupants into a white Mercedes car.
Amid confusion and growing concern, a local security official confirmed earlier today that Palestinian police were negotiating with the group believed to be behind the kidnappings.
This evening al-Mezan said it had confirmed that the Burton’s had been confirmed as being safe – and that details of their release were being negotiated.
The past 24 hours has seen a renewal of diplomatic activity after the initial failure of the security forces in the area to discover the identity, motives and demands of the group who had kidnapped the three Britons.
Kate Burton had been working for three months at al-Mezan, which monitors human rights violations, provides legal aid and seeks to promote democracy.
The incident is the latest in a series of abductions in Gaza, all of which have ended with the hostages being released unharmed. Fourteen international workers and volunteers are among those captured.
Recognised Palestinian and Islamic militants have been unanimous in their condemnation of the kidnapping of those they see as ‘friends of Palestine’.
That was the phrase used earlier today by the al-Aqsa Brigades in a television broadcast. Hamas had also called for their release.
Meanwhile the Muslim Association of Britain had announced that it was sending a release envoy, as it did in the case of Norman Kember, the British activist still missing in Iraq together with three other members of Christian Peacemaker Teams.
The two abductions are entirely unrelated, regional experts stress.
Win Burton, Kate’s mother, was until quite recently the coordinator of the European Union ëSoul for Europe’ programme in Brussels, which promotes spiritual values in the EU.
She has also worked ecumenically and at an inter-faith level across the Union, being an expert on religious issues.
She and Kate’s father, Hugh Burton, were proud of the human rights work their daughter was undertaking in Gaza, and had gone to visit her and to see the region.
Chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat told BBC News 24 this evening that the Burtons were ‘all safe and well’ and on their way to Gaza City.
He added that he hoped this would be the last such incident, as kidnapping harmed the Palestinians’ interests.
‘I am happy this despicable and shameful act is over,’ he declared.
The UK Foreign office says that it is investigating reports of the imminent release and will ‘continue to monitor the situation’.