Prominent Palestinian figure transferred to new prison
Prominent Palestinian figure, Marwan Barghouti, was transferred to a new prison on February 18th, according to The New Arab and agencies.
Head of the Palestinian Ministry of Detainees and ex-Detainees, Qadura Fares, issued a press statement the same day confirming the transfer of Barghouti from Rimonim to Ayalon-Ramla prison, by Israel’s prison service.
Fares claimed that the transfer is a move by Israeli authorities to appease public opinion. He added that regular transfers and the prevention of lawyers visiting Barghouti have raised concern for his safety, especially due to incitement against him in the Israeli media.
The ministry head stressed that conditions in Israeli prisons and detention centres require immediate attention from global authorities, to put an end to violations against Palestinian prisoners.
Israel’s National Security Minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, previously claimed that Barghouti had been moved into solitary confinement following information as to a planned uprising in the occupied West Bank, amid near-daily Israeli raids in the territory.
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In recent weeks, Barghouti has come back into focus due to speculation that his release may be a condition of the ongoing Hamas-Israel truce talks, mediated by Qatar, Egypt, and the US.
Imprisoned since 2002, the popular Palestinian figure faces five life sentences for leading Fatah’s militant faction during the first and second Intifadas. The Intifadas, or “uprisings,” sought to end Israeli occupation of the West bank, which it annexed in 1967.
Israel considers Barghouti one of its most high-profile detainees, regularly transferring him to higher security facilities where he is purportedly subject to harsh treatment and conditions.
Although imprisoned, Barghouti remains an influential figure in Palestine and has been suggested as a potential successor to Palestine’s current president, Mahmoud Abbas, if he were to be freed.
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Since the outbreak of the ongoing Israel-Gaza conflict, more than 7,000 Palestinians have been arrested in the West Bank, according to Palestinian Prisoners Society figures.
Hamas attacked southern Israel on October 7th killing at least 1,200 people, according to official Israeli figures.
Israel retaliated with an indiscriminate bombing campaign and invasion of Gaza, which has killed at least 29,000 Palestinians, according to the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry’s estimates, and displaced almost all of Gaza’s 2.3 million population.
The New Arab / Agencies
