ISIS Threatens To Execute 2 Japanese Hostages; Japan Refuses To Yield To $200M Ransom

The Islamic State (ISIS) released a video on Tuesday, showing two Japanese hostages whom it threatened to behead unless the Japanese government pays a $200-million ransom by Friday.

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe promptly issued a statement, vowing not to give in to the terrorists' demands while calling on the ISIS rebels to release the Japanese citizens immediately without precondition.

A footage posted on jihadist websites showed an English-speaking militant dressed in black and holding a knife standing in between hostages Kenji Goto and Haruna Yukawa, who were both wearing orange jumpsuits.

"You now have 72 hours to pressure your government into making a wise decision by paying the $200 million to save the lives of your citizens," said the militant.

He explained that the ransom will be used to compensate for non-military aid that Abe pledged to support countries affected by ISIS violence at the start of his Middle East tour.

The militant widely known as "Jihadi John" also appeared in the beheading videos of four Western hostages last year.

The video, which was posted on militant websites associated with the extremist group, was identified to have been made by the ISIS Al-Furqan media.

Unfazed by the terrorists' threat, the Japanese prime minister promised that he would not bow to extremism and will fulfill the aid promise he made in Cairo on Saturday that is meant to help displaced and homeless people affected by ISIS.

"I strongly demand that they not be harmed and that they be immediately released," Abe told a news conference in Jerusalem.

"This position is unshakable," he said, describing the assistance as "absolutely necessary" for the survival of people who have fled fighting.

Since August, ISIS has murdered three Americans and two Britons, posting grisly video footages of the beheading of American journalists James Foley and Steven Sotloff, American aid worker Peter Kassig as well as British aid workers Alan Henning and David Haines.

Goto, one of the Japanese hostages, is a freelancer who set up a video production company named Independent Press in 1996. It feeds video documentaries on the Middle East and other regions to Japanese television networks.

Yukawa is a 42-year-old widower who reportedly has a history of attempted suicide and self-mutilation after his military goods business went bankrupt and his wife died of cancer.