Group threatens to kill Johnston

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In a statement emailed out to media organisations, the Army of Islam threatened that Mr Johnston will be "slaughtered like a sheep" if its demands are not met.

The message demanded that Abu Mohammed al-Maqdisi, who is being held in Jordan, be released. Al-Maqdisi is known as the spiritual mentor of former al Qaida in Iraq leader Abu Musab al-Zarqawi who was killed last year.

Earlier, the group demanded freedom for Sajida al-Rishawi, an Iraqi woman sentenced to death in Jordan for her role in the al-Qaida led triple hotel bombing in Jordan in 2005 that killed 60 people, Jordan's worst terror attack. Al-Rishawi, 35, was intended to be one of the suicide bombers.

In its message, the Palestinian group also called the Hamas arrest of two of its members a "declaration of war." The group threatened to target Hamas leaders if attacked.

In response, Ghazi Hamad, spokesman for deposed Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh of Hamas, said, "We reject the continued captivity of Alan and we are still working to release him at the soonest possible opportunity." He did not relate to the declaration of war comment.

The Foreign Office said it was aware of the statement.

"We have made it clear that it's our top priority to see Alan Johnston released," a Foreign Office spokesman said. "We condemn statements like this, which only cause further distress for his friends and family."

The BBC said: "We are aware of the reports, and are watching them closely."

Mr Johnston was abducted from a Gaza street on March 12. His kidnapping has been condemned by governments, human rights groups, journalists' associations and Palestinian leaders. On Monday the group posted a video message from Mr Johnston on a militant website.