Who Is Marwan Barghouti, Palestinian Prisoner Israel Refused To Release?
Israel has not agreed to release the prominent Palestinian prisoner Marwan Barghouti under the newly agreed permanent Gaza ceasefire deal, which includes the exchange of the remaining Israeli captives for nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners, as per the government officials.
However, according to some other media reports, there are speculations that Barghouti will be released, but probably sent into permanent exile, possibly in France, Turkey, or Australia, which he may refuse, as it will deprive him of the Palestinian leadership and the future of Palestine.
Read also: Trump Announces Israel & Hamas Have Reached ‘First Phase’ Gaza Ceasefire Deal
Barghouti has been a popular figure among Palestinians, referred to as the ‘Marwan’ and ‘Palestinian Mandela’. He has been a leading member of the Fatah movement. He was jailed by Israel in 2002 during the second Intifada and sentenced to life imprisonment.
The famous Palestinian prisoner has served as an elected legislator and an advocate of the two-state solution even before his imprisonment by Israel. Barghouti organised street protests and diplomatic initiatives until 2022.
However, Barghouti declined to recognize the legitimacy of the court order and stated that he had no connection to the incidents for which he was convicted.
Reportedly, despite his imprisonment, Barghouti has consistently been the people’s choice for the Presidential election in the opinion polls. Barghouti has been seen as the most able leader to unify the Palestinians and negotiate a compromise with Israel.
Barghouti has remained politically active throughout his years in prison. He has been a lead author of the 2006 Palestinian Prisoners’ Documents, which suggested a two-state solution as a political path and secured support from Hamas.
Read also: What Greta Thunberg Advises Trump On His ‘Anger Management” Remark?
As per the reports, since October 2023, he has been denied visits and also beaten several times, leading to persistent damage to his health.
Barghouti was born in the village of Kober near Ramallah, West Bank, and joined Fatah at the age of 15. He was a co-founder of the Fatah Youth Movement (Shabiba) on the West Bank. The Palestinian leader earned a master’s degree in International Relations from Brizeit in 1998.
