‘It became quite hard to imagine normal life again,’ Johnston said of his ordeal. ‘The last 16 weeks have been the very worst of my life. I was in the hands of people who were dangerous and unpredictable. I literally dreamt many times of being free and always woke up back in that room.’

On his release, Johnston told the BBC that he wanted to support the work of freedom of expression groups. He drew attention to the plight of other journalists around the world who have been kidnapped. It is not clear whether he will return to reporting from Gaza.

‘The release of Alan Johnston is a great relief.’ said Henderson Mullin, director of Index on Censorship. ‘However, it is important that, in future, every effort is made to ensure that journalists can work safely in the Palestinian territories. It is more important than ever for events in Gaza to be covered in the international press. Unfortunately the impact of Johnston’s kidnap already means that it’s harder for foreign journalists to work there.’