Mid-East press hail Johnston release

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Newspapers in the Middle East applaud the safe release of BBC Gaza correspondent Alan Johnston after his long captivity.

They speak of Hamas having scored a considerable success by securing the release, one which will bolster the group's credibility in the region and beyond.

However, some Palestinian papers remains scornful; one pro-Fatah paper says Hamas created the situation in order to take advantage of it. An Israeli commentator says his country could learn something from "quiet British diplomacy".

EDITORIAL IN PAN-ARAB AL-QUDS AL-ARABI

Hamas has definitely scored a security, political and media success by releasing [BBC journalist Alan] Johnston. It has presented itself to the West as a force which respects the law and preserves innocent lives and it has shown that it is ready to cooperate positively with this world which is opposed to it and considers it a terrorist movement.

MAZIN HAMMAD IN JORDAN'S AL-DUSTUR

The success of Hamas in securing the release of Alan Johnston... will turn into a reason for the resumption of the broken dialogue between it and Fatah. The leaders of Hamas could not hide their happiness with the release of Johnston, because of the effect of this step in asserting the credibility of the movement and its control over the security of the Gaza Strip.

EDITORIAL IN EGYPT'S AL-JUMHURIYAH

The release of the British journalist deserves cheering by all supporters of the just Palestinian cause and recognition as the correction of a mistake that should not be repeated. It also merits that the international community should pay attention to the tragic situation of the Palestinian people, in the light of the stifling siege.

GHASSAN MUSTAFA AL-SHAMI IN MOROCCO'S AL-TAJDID

The release of Johnston is a great step and a message that says that the situation in Gaza is not as some depicted it ... The question now is whether Hamas can reach an honourable deal to free Palestinian detainees in return for releasing the held [Israeli] soldier, Gilad Shalit.

YUSUF AL-QAZAZ IN PALESTINIAN AL-HAYAT AL-JADIDAH

Hamas is trying in vain to improve its image by trying to convince the people that it contributed to releasing Johnston. It acts as if it did not protect his kidnappers and orchestrated clashes with them when the Army of Islam is not a faction that is strange to Hamas. It is even a name that Hamas can assume when the need arises.

YAHYA RABAH IN PALESTINIAN AL-HAYAT AL-JADIDAH

The greatest loser from all this experience is the just cause of this noble people. Anything but his release would have been disastrous to the Palestinians. His release minimised the losses and constitutes a victory for Palestine and its people.

HASAN AL-BATAL IN PALESTINIAN AL-AYYAM

The release of British journalist is a message to our neighbours, Israel, that the price for releasing the captured soldier, Gilad Shalit, could be politically higher. Hamas is like a policeman who starts fires just to extinguish them himself, so as to receive decorations for his bravery.

RONI SHAKED IN ISRAEL'S YEDIOT AHARONOT

The BBC correspondent provided the Hamas leader, Ismail Haniya, and his government with the victory photo they had been waiting for. It is both an international media achievement and proof that there is a landlord who upholds law and order in the Gaza Strip.

AVI ISSACHAROFF IN ISRAEL'S HAARETZ

Hamas said it would take action against the chaos, the gunmen, the drugs, and it has had impressive success. The Palestinian public sees Hamas' action against the Dughmush clan, which has come to reflect every negative and harmful trend in the Gaza Strip, as a positive development.

ANSHEL PFEFFER IN ISRAEL'S JERUSALEM POST

It remains to be seen what if anything Hamas has gained from Alan Johnston's release besides a temporary PR coup. But one fact should remain in Israelis' minds. In two cases of hostage-taking, quiet British diplomacy has eventually secured the freedom of British nationals. Israel is obviously in a very different position, but there are definitely lessons to be learned here.

<A href="http://www.monitor.bbc.co.uk">BBC Monitoring</A> selects and translates news from radio, television, press, news agencies and the internet from 150 countries in more than 70 languages. It is based in Caversham, UK, and has several bureaux abroad.