A key member of the radical Palestinian group holding Alan Johnston, the BBC reporter, was arrested yesterday, raising the stakes in the efforts to secure his release.

The seizure of Abu Khatab al-Maqdisi was described by Hamas as a major coup against the Army of Islam, which has threatened to kill Johnston if any attempts are made to rescue him by force.

The militant group reinforced the threats last night. “We consider this an act of aggression that will not go unpunished,” a spokesman for the group told The Times, hinting that Johnston could be harmed in retaliation.

Yesterday’s developments highlighted how quickly tension is mounting between the Army of Islam and Hamas, which took control of Gaza last month, winning a bloody power struggle with the secular Fatah party.

Blockade drains life from Gaza

The movement of goods into Gaza had been intermittent at best since Hamas won Palestinian elections early last year

BACKGROUND

• Israel continues Gaza blitz as 310 dead

• Q&A: Hamas and Gaza

• 97 days and counting for BBC's man in Gaza

• Now war is with the enemy within

• The little girl trapped by a quirk of war

Hamas has vowed to free Johnston as proof of its ability to restore law and order to the Gaza Strip. The reporter, who was seized on March 12, is now the longest-held hostage in the Palestinian territories. “Law and order must prevail in Gaza now that Hamas is in charge. We cannot remain hostage to the gangs of Gaza,” Yahya Mousa, a Hamas leader with ties to the Interior Ministry, said.

However, the Army of Islam, an offshoot of the powerful Dagmoush crime family that has a longstanding feud with Hamas, has refused to submit to the Islamist movement’s rule. The capture of the 25-year-old Mr al-Maqdisi appeared to trigger an escalation in the power struggle between the two groups.

Sami Abu Zuhri, a Hamas spokesman, said that the Dagmoush loyalist was arrested after he opened fire on Hamas security forces at a roadblock. A Hamas source from the Interior Ministry involved with Mr al-Maqdisi’s interrogation, who would only identify himself as Abu Bilal, said: “We are on our way to ending this fiasco. We are getting to know the details of Mr Johnston’s condition and his whereabouts. The end is in sight.”

The Army of Islam has refused to back down from demands that it says must be met in exchange for Johnston’s release – including the release of a radical Muslim cleric held in Britain. The stalemate between the two groups has turned increasingly violent in recent weeks, with Johnston’s fate hanging in the balance.

A week ago the Army of Islam posted a video clip on a militant website showing Johnston apparently wearing an explosive belt. Johnston was seen to caution the British Government and Hamas against freeing him by force, saying negotiations had reached a “very promising” stage.

112

— number of days Alan Johnston has been held captive

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