Marwan Barghouti, a senior Palestinian political figure imprisoned by Israel, has reportedly suffered a brutal assault by prison authorities, with his family receiving alarming details about his condition. According to accounts relayed through a recently released prisoner, Barghouti sustained severe injuries including a partially severed ear, broken ribs, fractured fingers, and dental damage during multiple beating sessions. His son, Arab Barghouti, described the conveyed information as indicating an “extremely difficult and very dangerous” state.
This incident is not isolated. A confidential source close to the Barghouti family revealed that the Fatah leader has been physically assaulted at least five times over the past two years, characterizing these actions as “a slow, gradual assassination attempt.” The attacks coincide with increasing threats from senior Israeli officials, including National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, who was filmed visiting Barghouti’s cell in August while warning Israel would “obliterate” its opponents.
Barghouti, who has been incarcerated since 2004 and is serving five life sentences plus 40 years for his role in attacks that killed five Israelis during the Second Intifada, has long been held in solitary confinement. His treatment has intensified alongside other prominent Palestinian detainees since October 2023. Despite his imprisonment, opinion polls consistently show Barghouti would likely win the Palestinian presidency by a significant margin if elections were held.
The Palestinian Authority’s Commission of Detainees’ Affairs has gathered information corroborating the assault reports, yet according to sources, neither the PA nor Fatah leadership has taken meaningful action to intervene. This perceived abandonment has left the family in “complete shock and desperation,” with one source questioning how a senior Fatah official could be “left to face his fate alone.”
This case unfolds against the backdrop of a massive detention campaign across the West Bank following the Gaza conflict initiation in October 2023. Current estimates indicate at least 9,250 Palestinians are held in Israeli prisons, with nearly half detained without charge or trial under administrative detention orders. Documentation shows record levels of systemic abuse and torture in Israeli custody, with at least 100 prisoner deaths reported under these conditions.
International efforts to secure Barghouti’s release, including attempted negotiations by Egypt, Qatar, and Hamas as part of Gaza ceasefire discussions, have thus far been unsuccessful, with Israel subsequently removing his name from prisoner exchange lists.