Jailed militant becomes ultimate bargaining chip in Israel-Hamas hostage deal

For many Israelis, Marwan Barghouti is a terrorist rightly jailed for his role in the Palestinian uprising of the early 2000s who should spend the rest of his life in prison.

But for Palestinians, he is a freedom fighter who embodies their just resistance to Israel’s half-century occupation of their lands. And when Hamas has been setting out its conditions for freeing the remaining 130 Israeli hostages it holds in Gaza, Barghouti’s release was among them.

Hamas’s demand has cast Barghouti — the most popular Palestinian politician despite his 22-year incarceration — back into the spotlight at a time when western and Arab diplomats are debating how to revitalise the Palestinian leadership once the war between Israel and Hamas is over.

Negotiations for a second round of hostage swaps, where Israelis held by Hamas will be released for Palestinians held in Israeli prisons, could bear fruit as early next week, US President Joe Biden said on Monday.

That progress has been made possible by Israel finally agreeing to consider the release of so-called “heavy” prisoners, a reference to those jailed for the killing of Israelis, although it remains unclear whether they would be traded for civilians or for Israeli soldiers held captive.

“Marwan is the heaviest of the heavies,” said an Israeli official who was involved in Barghouti’s capture and trial. “Releasing him would be so politically expensive that it is seen as the final straw — when no other options exist to secure the release of our hostages.”

Israel is not at that point yet, the person said. For now, the indirect negotiations with Hamas — brokered by Qatar, and supported by US and Egyptian intelligence — have inched forward, with Hamas appearing to soften a demand for a permanent ceasefire and withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza.

“It’s very complicated,” said Gershon Baskin, director of Middle East operations at the International Communities Organisation, who was involved in…