GAZA, April 5 (UPI) -- Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh of Hamas met Thursday with Britain's consul general on efforts to free an abducted British journalist in Gaza.
The two met in Haniyeh's office in Gaza in the first such encounter between a Western official and a Hamas leader at a time when the European Union is boycotting the Islamic movement's ministers in the Palestinian national unity government.
But the British Foreign Office stressed the meeting between the consul general in Jerusalem, Richard Makepeace, and Haniyeh was held on "humanitarian grounds" to secure the release of Alan Johnston, a BBC correspondent in Gaza.
"It does not change our normal policy on political contacts with members of Hamas," the Foreign Office said in a statement. "Throughout the case, we have worked closely with the Palestinian Authority and the BBC to secure Alan's release, and will continue to support their efforts."
Johnston, 44, was snatched from his car in Gaza March 12 on his way home from work. No one claimed responsibility for his abduction in an area that has become virtually lawless.
A statement from the Palestinian prime minister's office said Haniyeh told Makepeace that whoever carried out the abduction does not represent the Palestinian people and that the people have high regard for the work that Johnston has carried out in the past three years.
It added the British diplomat "expressed his government's appreciation to the efforts of the Palestinian prime minister and the Palestinian government in trying to resolve this issue as quickly as possible."
Haniyeh also met with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas Thursday and set up a joint task force of the Palestinian security services to free Johnston, the longest-held foreigner kidnapped in the Gaza Strip. Some 15 foreign journalists have been kidnapped there, but all were released quickly and unharmed.
