In Britain, colleagues of kidnapped journalist Alan Johnston held a vigil in London on Monday. Gunmen seized Johnston in Gaza a month ago. He has not been heard from since.

Jonny Dymond of the BBC: “We have not forgotten you. We will not forget you. We ask, and I beg, that you release him now, today.”

Meanwhile in Brussels, Leila Shahid, the Palestinian Authority’s envoy to the EU, made appeals for Johnston’ release. Shahid also blamed Israel and the international community for isolating the Palestinian territories.

Leila Shahid: “There is more than lack of security. There is total chaos that led a few weeks ago to almost a civil war in Gaza. Let’s be frank. When you destroy a central authority, when you do away with the Palestinian address, when you bomb the ministries, when you destroy secret service agencies, you can’t expect that this emptiness will not be occupied by those who, either for political reasons or for financial reasons, will try and use it to install their own authority.”