The Palestinian government says it has information about who abducted a BBC correspondent in Gaza, and expects him to be released soon.
Alan Johnston, who has been the BBC's correspondent in Gaza for three years, was abducted while driving his car in the coastal strip yesterday.
Mr Johnston is believed to be the only Western journalist still based full time in Gaza.
Most other journalists moved out of the impoverished territory last year as fighting between rival Hamas and Fatah factions intensified.
Palestinian Interior Minister Saeed Seyam of Hamas described the kidnapping as a 'criminal act'.
Security forces loyal to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas of Fatah declared a state of emergency.
There have been a series of abductions of foreign journalists and aid workers in Gaza in the past year. The abducted were all eventually released unharmed.
