Watan-Senior officials in the Palestinian Authority have requested from mediators between the occupation and the Palestinian resistance movement the exclusion of Fatah leader “Marwan Barghouti” from the potential prisoner exchange deal between Israel and Hamas, according to a knowledgeable source cited by the British “Middle East Eye” website.<\/p>\n
The source, familiar with the negotiations, told Middle East Eye on Sunday that the request was made by Majed Faraj, head of the Palestinian General Intelligence, and Hussein al-Sheikh, Secretary-General of the Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization.<\/p>\n
The same source added that senior leaders of the Palestinian Authority believe that releasing Marwan Barghouti would jeopardize the leadership and influence of Mahmoud Abbas, the President of the Authority.<\/p>\n
According to the source, the United States, one of the three mediators along with Qatar and Egypt participating in indirect negotiations to cease fire in Gaza, has agreed to remove Barghouti’s name from any potential lists expected to be submitted by Hamas.<\/p>\n
The “Middle East Eye” report also referred to what was reported by “Arabi 21” website last March, citing unnamed sources, that the United States and Israel opposed the release of Marwan Barghouti.<\/p>\n
“Middle East Eye” contacted the White House and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for comment on whether they oppose the release of Barghouti or the release of other Palestinian officials, but received no response at the time of publication.<\/p>\n
Marwan Barghouti, who has been detained by Israel since 2002, is one of the most popular figures of Fatah in the West Bank and Gaza.<\/p>\n
A recent survey conducted by the Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research showed that the 64-year-old Barghouti would decisively win elections against the 88-year-old Abbas.<\/p>\n
Barghouti is currently serving a life sentence for his involvement in armed resistance against the occupation during the Second Intifada that began in 2000.<\/p>\n
Hamas is determined to secure the release of Marwan Barghouti and other prominent Palestinian figures, according to a source cited by “Middle East Eye.” Talks have not yet progressed to the stage of exchanging names and lists.<\/p>\n
Amid ceasefire negotiations, Ismail Haniyeh, the head of Hamas’s political bureau, emphasized the movement’s eagerness to achieve a comprehensive ceasefire, ending Israeli aggression, ensuring Israel’s withdrawal from Gaza, and establishing a new prisoner exchange agreement.<\/p>\n
The United States, Egypt, and Qatar have been mediating indirect negotiations between Israel and Hamas for months, aiming to reach a ceasefire in Gaza and a prisoner exchange agreement.<\/p>\n
Hamas insists that any potential agreement must permanently end the war, while Israel seeks only a temporary ceasefire. Palestinian resistance launched a sudden attack on Israel on October 7 last year, resulting in casualties and captives, according to Israeli officials.<\/p>\n
Subsequently, Israel launched a devastating bombing campaign, invaded Gaza, and imposed a siege, resulting in casualties and a humanitarian crisis. Israel has also carried out widespread repression in the occupied West Bank, leading to casualties and arrests.<\/p>\n
Human rights groups report that thousands of Palestinians are currently detained in Israeli prisons, with others held in Gaza, subjected to punitive measures since October 7, including torture and deprivation.<\/p>\n
Earlier this year, there were reports of Barghouti being subjected to severe beatings in solitary confinement. Despite escalating violations, Barghouti’s family insists he will not be broken by intimidation.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Watan-Senior officials in the Palestinian Authority have requested from mediators between the occupation and the Palestinian resistance movement the exclusion of Fatah leader “Marwan Barghouti” from the potential prisoner exchange deal between Israel and Hamas, according to a knowledgeable source cited by the British “Middle East Eye” website. The source, familiar with the negotiations, told …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":3435,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[23],"tags":[1468,1113,1107],"class_list":["post-9903","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-reports","tag-marwan-barghouti","tag-palestinian-authority","tag-prisoner-exchange"],"yoast_head":"\n