Hamas Demands Release of Marwan Barghouti and Key Palestinian Leaders in Gaza Ceasefire Negotiations

Marwan Barghouti, a prominent Fatah party member, has been incarcerated since 2002.

According to Egyptian state-affiliated media on Tuesday, Hamas is requesting the release of high-profile Palestinian prisoner Marwan Barghouti from Israeli custody as part of the ongoing hostage-prisoner exchange negotiations.

Al-Qahera News, which maintains close ties with Egypt's intelligence apparatus, reported that discussions have commenced in Sharm El-Sheikh regarding the lists of Palestinian inmates to be freed by Israel under a potential ceasefire agreement.

Barghouti, a leading figure in the Palestinian Fatah party who has been imprisoned since 2002, is among several notable detainees whose release Hamas is advocating for.

Additional high-profile names mentioned in the negotiations include Ahmad Saadat, Hassan Salameh, and Abbas Al-Sayed.

Indirect negotiations have been in progress since Monday in Sharm El-Sheikh, following a 20-point proposal from US President Donald Trump aimed at establishing a ceasefire in Gaza.

The proposed plan includes provisions for releasing hostages captured by Hamas and other Palestinian militants during the October 7, 2023 attacks that triggered the Gaza conflict.

In exchange for the hostages, Israel is expected to release 250 Palestinian prisoners serving life sentences and over 1,700 detainees from Gaza who were captured during the war.

The proposal also outlines a gradual Israeli withdrawal from the Gaza Strip and Hamas disarmament.

On Sunday, Hamas expressed its readiness to reach an agreement to end the war in Palestinian territory and to conduct an immediate exchange of hostages and prisoners with Israel.