Kidnaped BBC reporter released

After four months as a hostage and huge international outrage, the BBC's Gaza correspondent Alan Johnston has finally been released by his captors.

The journalist was handed over to the Hamas government, regarded as a terrorist group by the US.

I believe Johnston was the only western journalist based in the Occupied Territories. As such, he was generally well-regarded by Palestinians for telling their story, in contrast to most British and North American media which tends not to portray Palestinians as human beings.

Sadly, his ordeal will only make it less likely that international journalists will dare to venture to the Palestinian territories to tell more stories. But his release is certainly welcome news for his family and for all those part of the world's most respected news outlet.