Kidnapping in Gaza

(Gaza City) A French television sound engineer was kidnapped by three gunmen outside his hotel in Gaza City and bundled into a waiting car just hours before Israel commenced its withdrawal of Israeli settlers from the Gaza Strip. The technician works for French 3 Public Television.


[Update 8/14/05, 2330 EDT]

From TurkishWeekly.net:

Palestinian security forces have said they are investigating reports that a member of a French television crew was kidnapped by gunmen outside his Gaza City hotel.

At this time, there's not much confirmation of the story. It's understandable in light of the fact that the Israelis are presently shushing settlers out of the Gaza Strip. They have 48 hours to leave or be forced out. Expect trouble.


[Update 8/15/05, 1400 EDT]

From the Jerusalem Post:

The journalist was identified as Muhammed Ouathi, an Algerian Muslim with French citizenship who was working as a soundman for French Television Channel III.

Eyewitnesses said three kidnappers armed with rifles kidnapped him while he was walking back to his hotel in Gaza City. The three threatened Ouathi, pulled him into a white Subaru and drove away to an unknown destination.

PA Interior Ministry spokesman Tawfik Abu Khoussa said that Outahi was abducted while he was with another three French journalists.

"The unknown kidnappers left the three French journalists and abducted the half French, half Algerian journalist and took him to an unknown place," he added.

It appears that the kidnappers went fishing for a victim, found a keeper, and threw the others back. No group has claimed responsibility and Hamas has condemned the abduction. Given the level of lawlessness in Gaza, any of a number of criminal gangs could be responsible for the kidnapping.