Nael Barghouti, the longest-serving Palestinian prisoner in Israeli jails, was released on Thursday as part of the latest hostage-prisoner exchange under a fragile Gaza truce. Barghouti, who spent more than 45 years in prison—34 of them consecutively—was expelled from Palestinian territories and arrived in Egypt upon his release.
Barghouti was first arrested in 1978 and sentenced to life imprisonment for the murder of an Israeli officer and attacks on Israeli sites. At the time, he was affiliated with Fatah, the movement led by Palestinian President Mahmud Abbas, though he later joined Hamas while in prison.
Prisoner Swap Under Gaza Truce
His release came as part of the final phase of a prisoner-hostage exchange between Israel and Hamas, which took effect on January 19. Israel’s Prison Service confirmed that 643 Palestinian prisoners were transferred from multiple prisons and released under the terms of the deal, following Hamas’s return of the bodies of four Israeli hostages.
The first phase of the agreement, set to expire on Saturday, has largely paused more than 15 months of conflict that devastated Gaza, displaced nearly its entire population, and triggered severe hunger, according to the United Nations.
Under the truce deal, Hamas freed 25 living Israeli and dual-national hostages taken during its October 7, 2023, attack on Israel and returned the bodies of eight others. Additionally, five Thai nationals were released outside the agreement’s official terms. In return, Israel was expected to free around 1,900 Palestinian prisoners.
Barghouti’s Previous Release and Rearrest
Barghouti was previously freed in 2011 as part of a major prisoner exchange in which Hamas secured the release of more than 1,000 Palestinian detainees in return for Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit. However, he was rearrested in 2014 and remained in prison until this latest swap.
Sources By Agencies
