The negotiations with Islamic State militants in an attempt to save the lives of a Japanese journalist and a Jordanian military pilot are at an apparent standstill Saturday, two days past the latest deadline by the militants demanding the release of an Iraqi prisoner.

Japanese Foreign Minister Yasuhide Nakayama said late Friday in Amman, Jordan, that progress to secure the release of pilot Mu’ath al-Kasaesbeh and journalist Kenji Goto “has become deadlocked.”

Islamic State militants had threatened to kill Kasaesbeh if Jordan did not release Iraqi prisoner Sajida al-Rishawi by sunset Thursday.  Rishawi is on death row in Jordan for her role in a deadly 2005 bombing in Amman.

Jordan said it would only release Rishawi with proof its pilot, whose jet crashed in Syria last month, is alive.  Jordan says it has not received the evidence from the hostage takers.

A recorded voice warning of the threat to the Jordanian pilot was purported to be that of Japanese hostage Goto.

Goto’s wife, Rinko, issued an emotional appeal late Thursday to both Tokyo and Amman to save her husband’s life. But the audio recording, apparently released by the Islamic State, did not promise that either of the hostages would be released in exchange for Rishawi.

People in both Jordan and Japan took to the streets Friday to call for the hostages’ safe return.

Kasaesbeh is believed to have been captured after his jet crashed in Syria during a bombing mission against Islamic State.  He is from an important Jordanian tribe that strongly supports the country’s ruling Hashemite monarchy.

Public opinion polls have indicated there is opposition in Jordan to the country’s involvement in the U.S.-led coalition fighting Islamic State.

Several days ago, Islamic State released a video showing Goto holding pictures of another Japanese hostage, Haruna Yukawa, who had apparently been beheaded.  In the video, a man’s voice, identifying himself as Goto, directly addresses Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, accusing him of responsibility for Yukawa’s death.

Goto is believed to have been captured by Islamic State last year while trying to rescue Yukawa.

Abe, while on a recent tour of the Middle East, announced $200 million in non-military aid for countries fighting Islamic State militants.

The Islamic State group threatened last week to behead the Japanese hostages unless it received a $200 million ransom.  The demand for money has not been repeated in recent statements.

The hostage crisis comes as Islamic State militants have captured large areas of Iraq and Syria, declaring the region a caliphate that all other Muslims should follow.
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