Hamas set a deadline for the captive BBC reporter's release. Will his captors listen?

An excerpt from the BBC story:

The Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas says it has set a deadline of Monday for the kidnappers of BBC reporter Alan Johnston to release him.

A Hamas spokesman told the BBC that if Johnston was not freed, it would be the role of the Palestinian government to work for his safe release.

The reporter was abducted in March by a group calling itself The Army of Islam.

On Friday, Hamas said that Johnston should be freed and that it was in contact with his abductors.

"Alan Johnston was discussed with the kidnappers," Mahmoud Zahhar, the former Palestinian foreign minister who is believed to be a leader of Hamas, told the BBC Arabic Service.

"They have been given a deadline of today, Monday, to respond. They will be contacted, they may have already been contacted, for his release. If he is not released then the role of the current government is to work for his release, safe and sound."

In a separate interview with Reuters news agency, Mr Zahhar said: "If he is not released, we would use all means to secure his life and to free him."

The deadline has presumably come and gone. I hope that by the time I wake up, Mr. Johnston has been freed. Failing that, I hope nothing crazy happens and that he's still alive.