08 15 French Journalist Kidnapped in Gaza.

Palestinian gunmen kidnap France TV journalist
By Reuters
Last Update: 15/08/2005 18:47

Palestinian gunmen abducted a French television journalist on Monday, his TV crew said, the latest in a string of kidnappings of foreigners in the Gaza Strip. Mohamed Ouathi, a soundman for France 3 Television, was walking back to his hotel in Gaza City with his television crew when three armed men threatened him, pulled him into their vehicle and drove away.
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No group immediately claimed responsibility for the abduction of Ouathi, a French citizen of Algerian origin. "We tried to intervene, to resist, but they threatened us very aggressively and dragged off Mohamed," Gwenaelle Lenoir, one of the crew members, told France 3. News of the kidnapping spread concern among dozens of foreign journalists covering Israel's withdrawal from Gaza, which began Monday at 12 A.M. Contrary to past abductions of journalists in Gaza, a frequent scene of lawlessness between rival armed groups, Ouathi was not freed hours after the kidnapping. France demanded his immediate release. "This isn't the first time we've had people abducted in Gaza, but in general they are released pretty quickly," said Sylvain Lequesne, a staff representative. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas condemned the incident saying: "We will not allow these chaotic actions. The kidnappers will get the maximum punishment and we will not allow such chaos to continue."

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