The PNI strongly condemns the kidnapping of an Italian national participating in a solidarity trip to Palestine, together with European Parliament member, Luisa Morgantini. The PNI calls on his captors to immediately release the hostage unharmed. It also calls on the Palestinian Authority to do its utmost to secure his rapid release and to take immediate steps to halt the spate of kidnappings that have taken place in Gaza in recent months.
Such incidents simply serve to undermine the development of the democratic process in Palestine, and highlight the increasingly dire internal security situation in the Gaza Strip. They also damage the credibility and justness of the Palestinian cause in the eyes the international community.
The use of kidnappings as a tool by certain groups to pressurize the Palestinian Authority into meeting their demands has been met with widespread criticism and anger within Palestinian society. Most Palestinians stress that this is not the way of the Palestinian people, who are welcoming and protective of the many foreigners working in, and visiting Palestine.