2 journalists kidnapped, freed in 'message' to U.S., Britain

GAZA CITY (CNN) -- Two journalists -- one from the United States, another from Britain -- were kidnapped Tuesday and then released hours later in what was called a warning to the U.S. and British governments.

A group of militants distributed a leaflet in Gaza City announcing the kidnapping.

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They identified themselves as members of the Fatah Hawks, an organization affiliated with the Palestinian Authority.

However, in a statement released by Information Minister Yasser Abd-Rabbo and Mohammed Dahlan, the head of Palestinian security, the Palestinian Authority condemned the holding of the two journalists.

"We are pursuing the perpetrators and they will be punished in accordance with the severity of their crime," the statement said.

It added that the Palestinian Authority guarantees the security of all foreign journalists in Palestinian-controlled areas.

The Fatah organization said it was not responsible and believed that the kidnappers were activists in the Palestinian intifada.

The leaflet said, "This will only be a message to the American and the British governments to re-evaluate their policies and that all their citizens in Palestine and in the Arab world will be subject to kidnapping and to being killed. That is if they continue in their total support and unjustified bias to the government of the killer Sharon," referring to Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon.

After being released, the two journalists, who both work for Newsweek magazine, said they were unharmed.

In New York, Newsweek identified the two as Jerusalem Bureau Chief Joshua Hammer and photographer Gary Knight.

"We are enormously relieved they are released unharmed," said Richard Smith, Newsweek chairman and editor in chief. "But we remain outraged that two journalists who were doing their job were subjected to this kind of treatment."

Hammer was allowed to call Newsweek while he and Knight were being held, said Smith.

Knight said their kidnappers were "almost apologetic" and quoted his kidnappers as saying that if he and Hammer came back to Gaza "we would be welcome."