Allan Johnston

     The group holding BBC reporter Alan Johnston hostage in Gaza has offered Hamas a compromise deal, calling for a joint religious committee to decide on the reporter's fate, Ynetnews has learned. The Army of Islam, an offshoot of the Gazan Dagmoush clan, kidnapped Johnston last March, and has refused to heed Hamas's calls for his release, sparking a tense standoff with Hamas forces in the Sabra district of Gaza City. Hamas has repeatedly threatened to completely destroy the Army of Islam in an armed assault, prompting the Army of Islam to threaten to kill Johnston if Hamas attempted to storm its compound. The call for a compromise came in the form of a "reconciliation letter," signed by the Army of Islam, and uploaded onto the al-Qaeda affiliated al-Firdaws internet forum in the early hours of Tuesday morning, Ynet reported. "It has been agreed that Sheikh Ali Ben Aouda al-Ghafri will intervene to reconcile the brothers in Hamas and those in the Army of Islam by releasing people kidnapped by both sides," the message read.(17,00)