It is high time that BBC journalist Alan Johnston, who has been kidnapped in Gaza, is set free. The ongoing ordeal does not serve any purpose and the Kataeb Al Jihad Al Tawheed (The Brigades of Holy War and Unity), the group that claims responsibility for the kidnapping, will only complicate a tense situation if it is prolonged or if they harm Johnston.
It is no secret that the Palestinians are facing a dire situation given the stalled peace process as well as the humanitarian crisis - one that is taking an intolerable toll on innocent civilians.
Palestinians - regardless of the faction to which they belong - should come together. The kidnapping of Johnston diverts attention from the plight of the Palestinians. He must be released on humanitarian grounds and because Palestinians are facing a grave situation that is made worse by kidnappings.
