Alan Johnston

    Alan Johnston, the BBC journalist held hostage in the Gaza Strip since March, was handed over by his Islamist captors to Hamas officials on Wednesday."I was released a couple of hours ago. It was an appalling experience as you can imagine. Occasionally quite terrifying... Now it really is over," Johnston told BBC News from the home of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh.Johnston, the only Western correspondent working full-time in the Strip, went missing on March 12. Hamas leader Khaled Meshaal said Wednesday the freeing of the BBC journalist showed his movement had brought order to the Gaza Strip by seizing power in the territory last month. "We have been able to close this chapter which has harmed the image of our people greatly. The efforts by Hamas have produced the freedom of Alan Johnston," Meshaal told Reuters by telephone from Syria.(05,24)