Hamas presses BBC reporter's captors to free him

GAZA (Reuters) - Hamas officials in the Gaza Strip said they were pressing the kidnappers of BBC correspondent Alan Johnston to free him by the end of the day on Monday and hoped they would secure his release without the use of force.

"The last appointment given for the kidnappers is today," senior Hamas official Mahmoud al-Zahar said.

"If they are not going to free him smoothly, we are going to use every way in order to set him free ... safe.

"I am looking forward to seeing him."

The Palestinian Islamist movement's violent takeover of Gaza from their Western-backed Fatah rivals last week has meant a major shift in power in the enclave.

Johnston, 45, went missing on March 12 and is believed to be held by the Army of Islam, a little known group that appears to draw inspiration from al Qaeda but also be linked to violent clan rivalries among Gaza's 1.5 million people.

The Army of Islam has demanded that Britain free Muslim prisoners, particularly Islamist cleric Abu Qatada. A man identified as a spokesman for the group told Al Jazeera television on Sunday that it might kill the British journalist.

Another official close to negotiations on Johnston's release also said the ruling Islamist group was pushing to resolve the issue: "Today there is an attempt to resolve the standoff peacefully," the official said.

"We hope the problem can be resolved without force."

The Scotsman is the only Western correspondent based full-time in the Gaza Strip, where a year-old economic embargo and fighting among militants have worsened living conditions.