Is Marwan Barghouti expected to be released soon from prison as part of the apparent hostage deal between Israel and Hamas? A Saturday report from Maariv citing the Saudi Asharq channel reported that Israel no longer opposes the release of Barghouti but insists on releasing him to Gaza and not to the West Bank.It was also reported that Hamas is expected to demand his name on the list of the first phase of the deal.Barghouti, former leader of the Tanzim, a militant faction of the Palestinian Fatah movement, was sentenced in 2004 by an Israeli court to five cumulative life sentences and 40 years in prison for terrorist acts in which five Israelis were murdered and many injured.
Releasing Barghouti would definitely shake things up. he is by far the most popular political figure for Palestinians - if there would ever be an election, he would win.
Which is why the reports that Abbas is against his release are probably true.
Senior Palestinian Authority (PA) officials have requested from mediators that Fatah leader Marwan Barghouti be excluded from a potential prisoner swap deal between Israel and Hamas, a source has told Middle East Eye.
A source familiar with the negotiations told MEE on Sunday that the request was made by Majid Faraj, the director of Palestinian general intelligence, and Hussein al-Sheikh, the secretary-general of the Palestine Liberation Organisation's (PLO) executive committee.
The source added that senior PA leaders believed Barghouti's release would threaten the leadership of PA President Mahmoud Abbas.
According to the source, the United States, one of three mediators involved in the indirect Gaza ceasefire negotiations, had reportedly agreed to remove Barghouti's name from any potential lists Hamas is expected to present.
If he is released, and Israel enforces his being only allowed to live in Gaza, it might backfire. Barghouti has had a Jekyll and Hyde personality; claiming to support peace and a two state solution while at the same time organizing terror attacks and saying he supports such attacks. From Gaza he would have plenty of influence, and that would weaken the PA just as much of not more than his being in Gaza. He might change the center of gravity of Palestinian leadership from the West Bank to Gaza, which would benefit Hamas.
If Hamss is destroyed, then it will be a Wild West situation.
Abbas is quite old although he is still appears fairly vigorous, but he cannot last that much longer. A Barghouti release would push up the open succession battle to now.
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