Who is Marwan Barghouti, 'Palestine's Mandela' that Israel won’t release?

Israel has reaffirmed that it will not release senior Fatah leader Marwan Barghouti as part of the newly agreed Gaza ceasefire and prisoner-exchange framework, despite Hamas repeatedly demanding his inclusion.

Government spokesperson Shosh Bedrosian told reporters: "I can tell you at this point in time that he will not be part of this release."

The New Arab looks into who Barghouti is, what he means to Palestinians and why Israel refuses to release him.

Who is Marwan Barghouti?

Born in 1959 in the village of Kobar near Ramallah, Barghouti joined Fatah as a teenager and quickly rose through its youth movement.

By the early 2000s, he was one of the most visible figures of the Second Intifada, advocating both political dialogue and armed resistance against Israel's increasingly intransigent occupation.

In 2002, Israeli forces arrested Barghouti, later convicting him on five counts of murder and membership of a terrorist organisation.

He refused to recognise the Israeli court that tried him, calling it biased and politically motivated, and declined to mount a defence.

To his supporters, his imprisonment was an attempt to sideline one of the few leaders capable of commanding respect across Palestinian factions.

Political evolution in prison

More than twenty years after his arrest, Barghouti remains an active political figure behind bars. He has continued to issue statements and proposals on Palestinian reconciliation, prisoners’ rights, and national unity.

In 2006, he was among the principal authors of the Palestinian Prisoners’ Document, a cross-factional proposal signed by leaders from Fatah, Hamas, Islamic Jihad, and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine.

The document called for ending internal divisions, and pursuing a two-state solution based on the 1967 borders. It also recognised the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO) as the sole legitimate representative of the Palestinian people.

Letters sent by him from prison have called for mass civil disobedience and a new phase of popular resistance grounded in unity rather than violence.

Analysts describe his influence as extending beyond Fatah to much of the Palestinian political spectrum.

Why Israel refuses to release him

Successive Israeli governments have insisted Barghouti has "blood on his hands" and must remain in prison.

It is believed that Israel fears his release could strengthen Fatah, rekindle calls for Palestinian unity, and challenge Israel’s control in the occupied territories. 

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s far-right coalition has hardened that position.

In August, National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir stormed Barghouti’s prison cell, reportedly taunting him by saying: "You will not win. Anyone who messes with the people of Israel, anyone who murders our children, anyone who murders our women - we will wipe him out."

The visit was widely interpreted as a message to Netanyahu’s base that no major Palestinian figures would be freed under any deal. 

Why his release matters

Despite two decades behind bars, Barghouti remains one of the most popular Palestinian leaders. Polls regularly show he would win a presidential election against Mahmoud Abbas, and his name continues to appear in every major prisoner-swap proposal.

Analysts believe that his release could reshape Palestinian politics.

Ismat Mansour, a Ramallah-based political analyst, previously told The New Arab that Barghouti "may facilitate reconciliation between Fatah and Hamas and unify the West Bank and Gaza. Hamas believes Barghouti is a unifier, unlike Abbas, who is perceived as a divider".

Palestinian political scientist Khalil Shikaki said Israel’s reluctance is rooted in fear of his unifying influence: "Israel believes that if they release Barghouti, he will unify Palestinians. And, of course, Netanyahu doesn’t want that, also because Barghouti is seen as someone with ‘blood on his hands,’ and there is a strong rejection of releasing people like him."

Western media often refer to Barghouti as "Palestine’s Mandela", but while the moniker is often used with good intent, some analysts believe it oversimplifies the politics surrounding him.

Many figures in both Fatah and Hamas have long supported a two-state solution, while Israel’s current leadership openly rejects it.

The phrase tends to place the burden of peace on Palestinian leadership rather than acknowledging the strength of Israel's opposition to peace and a Palestinian state.