Vittorio Arrigoni was found hanging in the den of his kidnappers after a blitz of Hamas militants to free him. According to police sources the man had been dead for several hours. Arrigoni worked for years as a volunteer in Gaza and had been kidnapped last week by a group of Salafis, the Islamic terrorist movement that has spread throughout the Middle East. Hamas: "This act is a heinous crime against our values."

Gaza (AsiaNews / Agencies) - Vittorio Arrigoni, an Italian activist of the International Solidarity Movement, was found dead last night in Gaza City by Hamas militants. The man was kidnapped by a group of Salafis. According to local sources, police raided the hideout of the kidnappers, but found Arrigoni hanged. So far, only two kidnappers have been arrested. This morning, Hamas condemned the act, calling it "a heinous crime against our values."

Arrigoni had been kidnapped last week by a group of Salafis, the Islamic terrorist movement that has spread throughout the Middle East. In the afternoon, the extremists have claimed the kidnapping posting a video showing Arrigoni blindfolded and bleeding and with writing in the background against Italy, termed an "infidel country." In the video, the kidnappers order the release of group leaders imprisoned in Gaza, on the pain of the hostages death. The expiration of the ultimatum was scheduled for today at 16.00. Hamas sources said the Salafist killed the activist several hours before the raid.

Arrigoni is the first foreigner to be kidnapped in Gaza after the British BBC journalist Alan Johnston, captured in 2007 by another Islamic extremist group close to al-Qaida. Unlike the Italian, Johnston was freed after 114 days of captivity and protracted negotiations.

• Palestine
• Italy
• Arrigoni
• hamas
• activist
• murder
• international
• solidarity
• movement
• salafists