Amid talk of prisoner exchange Islamic State militants are not explicitly saying they will release any hostages

IS militants are not saying they will release hostages Credit: ITV News

By Middle East correspondent Geraint Vincent

Amid all the talk of prisoner exchange, it's worth bearing in mind that the IS militants are not explicitly saying they are ready to release any of the hostages involved in this latest crisis.

All of their messages say only that the lives of the Jordanian pilot and the Japanese journalist will be spared if Jordan agrees to release the Al-Qaeda militant Sajida al-Rishawi.

At the moment Jordan is offering to free al-Rishawi in exchange for the freedom of their pilot, Moaz al-Kesasbeh.

Jordanian pilot Moaz al-Kesasbeh was captured when his plane went down in Syria last month. Credit: ITV News

If it is genuine, their latest message demands that she be delivered to the Turkish border by sundown, but makes no mention of the Jordanian being released in return.

Is Jordan prepared to release their terrorist just to hear that their man is okay? We shall see.

Kenji Goto was captured by Islamic State militants after travelling to Syria. Credit: PA

Japanese hostage Kenji Goto meanwhile, who's apparently being used to record the messages that IS is sending out to the world, has turned into a kind of captive interlocutor.

But one who's life is at stake.