'... a group of UK MPs called for international engagement with Hamas.
Twenty MPs from all parties signed a motion in the House of Commons calling for a new relationship with the group following its role in securing the journalist's release.
The motion said international support for Mr Abbas should not preclude contact with Hamas'.
surprised galloway hasn't signed this ...1841 RELEASE OF ALAN JOHNSTON 4:7:07
Richard Burden
John Austin
Mr Crispin Blunt
John Barrett
Dr Phyllis Starkey
Mr Mohammad Sarwar
David Lepper
Bob Russell
Dr Ian Gibson
Ms Diane Abbott
Keith Vaz
Mr Clive Betts
Dr Brian Iddon
Mr Greg Pope
Mr Gordon Prentice
Janet Anderson
Mr Alex Salmond
Mark Lazarowicz
Emily Thornberry
Mr Jim Devine
That this House welcomes the release unharmed of Alan Johnston from captivity in Gaza; pays tribute to his integrity and courage, to the dignity shown by his parents throughout their ordeal, to Alan's friends and colleagues at the BBC for pursuing every avenue they could to secure Alan's release, to Foreign Office staff for their efforts, to the hundreds of thousands of people worldwide who have expressed their support for Alan and to the Palestinians themselves; notes particularly that Alan Johnston himself has acknowledged the pivotal role played by Hamas in condemning the kidnapping and securing his release; believes that this shows why the international community's support for Mahmoud Abbas as the legitimate President of Palestine should not preclude contact with Hamas, why the Quartet should support the reconciliation between different Palestinian parties that will be crucial to a successful peace process between Israel and Palestine and why this is further evidence that peace can result from discussions between enemies as well and friends.
they should have been talking to hamas since last year!
