AhlulBayt News Agency: Marwan Barghouti, the most prominent Palestinian political prisoner held by the Israeli regime, has suffered rib fractures after reportedly being assaulted by prison guards.
According to the Prisoners’ Media Office on Wednesday, Barghouti was beaten during his transfer from Ramon Prison in the southern occupied territories to Megiddo Prison in the north in mid-September.
The assault caused him to lose consciousness and resulted in four broken ribs, the office reported.
Previously, the Commission for Detainees and Ex-Detainees Affairs and the Palestinian Prisoner’s Society disclosed that Barghouti had also been attacked on September 9 of the previous year while in solitary confinement at Megiddo Prison.
At that time, he sustained multiple injuries and bleeding in his right ear, which later became infected due to lack of medical care.
Barghouti, aged 66, is a senior figure in Fatah, the political faction led by Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, and remains one of the most respected leaders in Palestinian politics.
He has been imprisoned since 2002, serving five life sentences for charges linked to the Second Intifada that began in 2000.
Palestinian detainees have described worsening conditions in Israeli prisons, especially during the past two years of the regime’s war on Gaza.
Human rights organizations and the United Nations have documented systematic mistreatment of prisoners, including physical abuse, starvation, denial of family visits, and medical neglect.
Last week, the Israeli regime and Hamas agreed to the initial phase of a ceasefire plan, which includes releasing Israeli captives in Gaza in exchange for Palestinian prisoners and a phased withdrawal of Israeli forces.
Barghouti was among those expected to be released under the agreement.
Senior Hamas official Mousa Abu Marzouk stated that the group had demanded the release of Barghouti and other prominent detainees, and was negotiating through mediators.
However, Tel Aviv has refused to release high-profile prisoners, despite Hamas’ longstanding insistence.
Many analysts believe Barghouti could serve as a unifying figure for Palestinians. He is widely regarded by Palestinians as their equivalent of Nelson Mandela, the anti-apartheid icon and former president of South Africa.
Thousands of Palestinians held by the regime are seen by their people as political prisoners or freedom fighters resisting decades of occupation.
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