GAZA, April 12 (UPI) -- Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas says he hopes for an early resolution in the kidnapping of BBC reporter Alan Johnston.
Johnston, 44, was seized in Gaza by gunmen on March 12. His London parents both made personal pleas for their son's release on Thursday.
BBC Director General Mark Thompson, who met with Abbas, said he believed Johnston to be safe but there were growing concerns for his well-being.
Thompson said Abbas "assured me that (the) Palestinian Authority is fully engaged with Alan's case."
But, Thompson said, there had been no contact with any kidnappers and no demands had been received.
In New York, U.N. Secretary General Ban KI-moon called for Johnston's release as a "matter of principle."
"I sincerely hope that those who are responsible for this abduction should release him unconditionally and immediately," Ban said.
