Hamas is pushing for the release of Marwan Barghouti, a powerful Fatah leader serving multiple life sentences in Israel, as part of a potential ceasefire and hostage exchange deal. This surprising demand has reportedly been accepted by mediators, including the U.S., as they work to finalize an agreement that could bring relief to both Gaza and the families of hostages. Barghouti, a popular figure among Palestinians, could play a crucial role in the future of the region if this deal goes through. The question now is whether Israel will agree to this bold move.
Hamas has made a big demand in ongoing talks with Israel: they want Marwan Barghouti, a high-profile Palestinian leader, to be released from prison in the first phase of a proposed ceasefire and hostage exchange deal. Barghouti is currently serving five life sentences in Israel for his role in attacks during the Second Intifada that killed five Israelis.
According to a report from Sky News Arabia, mediators, including the United States, have agreed to include Barghouti in the list of prisoners to be released if a deal is finalized between Israel and Hamas. However, Israel has not yet confirmed or commented on this report.
Hamas sees Barghouti, a former leader in the Fatah movement, as a potential ally in Gaza. They believe that with his help, they could have a trusted figure to lead Gaza in a way that aligns with their interests. This isn’t the first time Hamas has asked for Barghouti’s release—similar demands were made during earlier negotiations that didn’t result in a deal.
Barghouti, who is 64 years old, is often mentioned as a possible successor to Mahmoud Abbas, the current Palestinian Authority leader. Many younger Palestinians support Barghouti, seeing him as uncorrupted by the perceived wrongdoings of the Palestinian Authority.
Amid these discussions, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office announced that an Israeli delegation would be part of ceasefire-for-hostage negotiations with Hamas on August 15. This came after a joint statement from the U.S., Egypt, and Qatar calling for renewed talks to quickly finalize a deal.
The statement emphasized the need to bring relief to the people of Gaza and the hostages and their families. The mediators said they have been working tirelessly for months and are now ready to present a final proposal, with only the details of implementation left to be sorted out. There was no immediate response from Hamas to this joint statement.
The Hostages and Missing Families Forum, a group representing the families of those held by Hamas, welcomed the statement from the U.S., Egypt, and Qatar. They thanked these countries’ leaders for their efforts and urged the Israeli government to finalize a deal to bring back all the hostages.
Currently, it is believed that 111 of the 251 hostages taken by Hamas during an attack on October 7 remain in Gaza. This includes the bodies of 39 people who were confirmed dead by the Israeli military. Hamas is also holding two Israeli civilians who entered Gaza in 2014 and 2015, along with the bodies of two Israeli soldiers killed in 2014.
In recent weeks, Hamas released 105 civilians during a temporary truce, and before that, four other hostages were released. Israeli troops have also managed to rescue seven hostages alive, and they have recovered the bodies of 24 hostages, including three who were accidentally killed by the military during rescue attempts.
