Is Marwan Barghouti expected to be released soon from prison as part of the apparent hostage deal between Israel and Hamas? A Saturday report from Maariv citing the Saudi Asharq channel reported that Israel no longer opposes the release of Barghouti but insists on releasing him to Gaza and not to the West Bank.
It was also reported that Hamas is expected to demand his name on the list of the first phase of the deal.
Barghouti, former leader of the Tanzim, a militant faction of the Palestinian Fatah movement, was sentenced in 2004 by an Israeli court to five cumulative life sentences and 40 years in prison for terrorist acts in which five Israelis were murdered and many injured.
Hamas allegedly agreeing to Egyptian ceasefire proposal
According to Asharq Al-Awsat, Hamas is moving to agree to the Egyptian proposal for a ceasefire deal in Gaza in conjunction with the presence of the movement’s delegation in Cairo. They will demand guarantees for the end of the war and the withdrawal of IDF forces from Gaza at the end of the third and final stage of the agreement.
The Hamas delegation expressed its willingness to Cairo to enter into the implementation of the humanitarian phase of the deal even without an Israeli commitment in advance to end the war, according to Egyptian reports, provided that continuation of the agreement will lead to the end of the war.
The leader of the terrorist organization, Yahya Sinwar, discussed the proposed deal through Hamas representatives for the first time on Friday, saying it was the closest offer yet to the terrorist organization's demands, but raised several caveats, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing Arab mediators, with the mediators also saying that Hamas is expected to present a counterproposal soon.
Egyptian sources claimed that the atmosphere of the ongoing meetings in Cairo is positive, and the matter depends on Israel's response to the negotiations' results.