Hamas has demanded the release of top Fatah figure and convicted terror operative Marwan Barghouti in the first phase of a proposed ceasefire and hostage release deal with Israel, Sky News Arabia reports.
According to the 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.
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 says 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.
Help us report truthfully on social media
As a multimedia journalist, my job is to take the quality, fact-based journalism produced by The Times of Israel newsroom and make it accessible across every platform — from Instagram posts to podcasts to short-form videos.
This is how many, especially young people, consume news these days. But misinformation is rampant on social media. Our team at ToI produces accurate, responsible short-form reporting on Israel and the Jewish world.
If you believe in the importance of factual social media journalism, please consider joining our reader support group, The Times of Israel Community. Your financial support is essential to sustain responsible multimedia reporting.
— Gabriella Jacobs, multimedia journalist
Support our work
Support our work
Already a member? Sign in to stop seeing this
You're a dedicated reader
We’re really pleased that you’ve read X Times of Israel articles in the past month.
That’s why we started the Times of Israel - to provide discerning readers like you with must-read coverage of Israel and the Jewish world.
So now we have a request. Unlike other news outlets, we haven’t put up a paywall. But as the journalism we do is costly, we invite readers for whom The Times of Israel has become important to help support our work by joining The Times of Israel Community.
For as little as $6 a month you can help support our quality journalism while enjoying The Times of Israel AD-FREE, as well as accessing exclusive content available only to Times of Israel Community members.
Thank you,
David Horovitz, Founding Editor of The Times of Israel
Join Our Community
Join Our Community
Already a member? Sign in to stop seeing this
From the Liveblog of
Friday, August 9, 2024
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on Google
