Hamas said demanding release of Marwan Barghouti in first stage of hostage deal
Terror group reportedly understands it cannot return to power and sees popular 2nd Intifada leader, serving life for deadly terror attacks, as potential ally to rule Gaza after war
The Times of Israel
Aug 9, 2024
Fatah terror chief Marwan Barghouti is serving five life terms for murder during the Second Intifada
Hamas has demanded the release of top Fatah figure and jailed Intifada leader Marwan Barghouti in the first phase of a proposed ceasefire and hostage release deal with Israel, Arabic media reported Friday.
According to a Sky News Arabia report, mediators — including the United States — accepted the demand for the highly popular Palestinian leader to be among the first security prisoners released in exchange for the Gaza hostages, should Israel and Hamas finalize a deal that has been in the works for months.
There was no immediate confirmation or reaction to the report from Israel.
Barghouti is serving five life sentences in an Israeli prison for his part in planning three terror attacks that killed five Israelis during the Second Intifada.
Citing unnamed sources, Sky News Arabia reported that Hamas has demanded Barghouti’s release as the terror group knows it cannot return to power in the Gaza Strip and sees the former head of Fatah’s Tanzim terrorist faction as a useful ally it could trust to run the Strip according to its liking.
The terror group was previously said to have demanded Barghouti’s release during negotiations for a deal that ultimately fell through back in March.
Barghouti, 64, is often touted as one of the top candidates to succeed octogenarian Mahmoud Abbas as leader of the Palestinian Authority. He is especially favored by the younger generation, who perceive him as untainted by the PA’s corruption and collaboration with Israel.
His wife, Fadwa Barghouti, last year announced the launch of an international campaign for her husband’s release.
The Sky News Arabic report came after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office announced an Israeli delegation will attend ceasefire-for-hostage negotiations with Hamas on August 15.
The statement followed a joint call by the United States, Egypt and Qatar for talks to resume next week with the aim to swiftly reach a deal.
“It is time to bring immediate relief both to the long-suffering people of Gaza as well as the long-suffering hostages and their families. The time has come to conclude the ceasefire and hostages and detainees release deal,” said the statement signed by US President Joe Biden, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi and Qatari Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani.
The statement said that after working “tirelessly” for months, the mediators are ready to present Israel and Hamas with a final proposal, with only the details for implementing the agreement yet to be worked out.
There was no immediate response from Hamas.
The joint statement from the US, Egypt and Qatar was welcomed by the Hostages and Missing Families Forum, which thanked the countries’ leaders “for their commitment to the release of the 115 hostages who have already been in Hamas captivity for 308 days,” before appealing to the government and Netanyahu to “demonstrate leadership” and finalize a deal “for the return of all the hostages.”
It is believed that 111 of the 251 hostages abducted by Hamas during the October 7 terror onslaught remain in Gaza, including the bodies of 39 confirmed dead by the IDF. Hamas is also holding two Israeli civilians who entered the Strip in 2014 and 2015, as well as the bodies of two IDF soldiers who were killed in 2014.
Hamas released 105 civilians during a weeklong truce in late November, and four hostages were released before that. Seven hostages have been rescued by troops alive, and the bodies of 24 hostages have also been recovered, including three abductees mistakenly killed by the military as they tried to escape their captors.
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