News photographer freed in Gaza

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A news agency photographer has been released in the Gaza Strip, six days after he was abducted.

Peruvian Jaime Razuri, 50, of AFP, was snatched by masked gunmen outside the French agency's offices in Gaza City.

Palestinian security forces handed him over to AFP representatives at Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas's compound in the city.

Mr Razuri told AFP: "I'm fine. I'm very happy to be released. They treated me well and gave me good food."

He also thanked "all those who were involved in my release".

Brief abductions of foreigners are common in Gaza, usually by disgruntled militants or security force members.

Some of Mr Razuri's most recent published photographs were of animals being slaughtered for the Muslim Eid al-Adha celebrations in Khan Younis.

This led some blogsites to speculate he may have been seized because of the gruesome photographs.

The kidnapping of the photographer was denounced by Palestinian officials, foreign correspondents and local Palestinian journalists.