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Barghouti Remains Central Figure in Palestinian Politics After 24 Years in Prison

Marwan Barghouti waves as Israeli police bring him to court for a sentencing hearing in Tel Aviv, May 20, 2004. (Reuters)
Marwan Barghouti waves as Israeli police bring him to court for a sentencing hearing in Tel Aviv, May 20, 2004. (Reuters)
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Barghouti Remains Central Figure in Palestinian Politics After 24 Years in Prison

Marwan Barghouti waves as Israeli police bring him to court for a sentencing hearing in Tel Aviv, May 20, 2004. (Reuters)
Marwan Barghouti waves as Israeli police bring him to court for a sentencing hearing in Tel Aviv, May 20, 2004. (Reuters)

Twenty-four years after the arrest of Palestinian leader Marwan Barghouti, now 67, and after long stretches in solitary confinement, he remains a central figure in Palestinian politics.

His influence has outpaced that of other officials in decision-making roles, and he has topped Fatah elections in previous years, as the movement prepares for its eighth conference next month, a key test of what has changed over time.

Palestinians, the presidency, Fatah, and Barghouti’s family marked the 24th anniversary of his arrest late last week. President Mahmoud Abbas pledged to continue efforts to secure his release.

Fatah said Barghouti, known as Abu al-Qassam, had become a living symbol for Palestinians through his sacrifices, struggle, courage, and patience.

The anniversary came as a lawyer who visited Barghouti on April 12 said he had been assaulted three times in recent weeks, on March 24 and 25 and April 8, leaving him bleeding in several parts of his body without proper medical treatment.

Israeli lawyer Ben Marmarelli said Barghouti was severely beaten and left bleeding for more than two hours on one occasion. Israel’s prison service said it was “not aware” of such incidents.

Barghouti is believed to have been held in solitary confinement for two and a half years. Last year, Israel’s National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir posted a video showing him confronting Barghouti in his cell, speaking in a condescending and threatening tone in what appeared to be an attempt to break him. The move backfired, drawing renewed attention to Barghouti to the point that US President Donald Trump said he was considering whether to release him.

Trump said last October he might ask Israel to release Barghouti, adding he had discussed the option with aides at the White House.

Trump’s intervention has further elevated Barghouti’s standing, with many viewing him as a potential “savior”.

Presidential contender

Informed Palestinian sources told Asharq Al-Awsat that Barghouti will almost certainly run in the next presidential election. “He will most likely be Fatah’s candidate, but even if that does not happen, he will run because he is Marwan,” the sources said.

Elections canceled at the last minute five years ago pointed to his chances. Barghouti formed a list with former Central Committee member Nasser al-Qudwa to challenge Fatah’s official slate.

The list was headed by al-Qudwa and lawyer Fadwa Barghouti, Barghouti’s wife, and included prominent figures from the movement. Barghouti’s name was not listed as he planned to run for president.

His stance underscored a rift dating back to 2005, when he briefly ran against Abbas before withdrawing, a divide that appears unresolved despite expectations of a reconciliation.

There is little sign his position has shifted, even as the broader landscape has. Since the Oct. 7, 2023, war, Israel has increased pressure on the Palestinian Authority, reshaped conditions in the West Bank, and imposed harsher measures on prisoners, including Barghouti. Israel has also rejected Trump’s remarks about his possible release.

Meanwhile, Abbas has moved to reshape the Palestinian Authority and Fatah, appointing senior Central Committee member Hussein al-Sheikh as vice president, launching reconciliation efforts, and allowing the return of previously dismissed members, including al-Qudwa, who has rejoined the Central Committee.

Abbas met Barghouti’s wife late last year and said he would continue working to secure his release.

The meeting sent a clear signal aimed at dispelling doubts over Barghouti, who enjoys strong support within Fatah. His backers present him as a unifying figure capable of bringing Palestinians together and as a potential successor to Abbas, an idea that has not previously gained traction within decision-making circles in Ramallah.

One shift since the war is that Hamas is expected to back him more strongly in any election. The group sought his release in prisoner exchange talks with Israel, placing him among five top-priority detainees, but Israel firmly refused.

Arafat loyalist

Barghouti, arrested in 2002, is serving five life sentences plus 40 years after being convicted of leading the al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, Fatah’s armed wing, which carried out attacks that killed Israelis during the second Palestinian uprising that began in 2000.

Before his arrest, he was close to Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat and is widely regarded within Fatah as an Arafat loyalist. This strengthens his standing among the movement’s base, though it may count against him with Israel and opponents of Arafat.

Abbas’s reconciliation push ahead of the eighth conference, scheduled for May 14, comes at a sensitive moment as he works to reorganize the Palestinian Authority and ensure a smooth leadership transition.

The conference will elect a new Central Committee, the movement’s top decision-making body, which will shape both Fatah and the broader Palestinian political landscape.

Selecting a new committee, alongside a new Palestinian National Council, will signal the scale of change and reveal the influence of key figures.

At Fatah’s seventh conference, Barghouti secured the highest number of votes, 930 out of about 1,100, underscoring his strong backing within the movement.

The upcoming conference will show whether he has maintained that standing or lost ground amid sweeping changes within the Palestinian Authority, Fatah, and Palestinian society.

His supporters had hoped he would be named vice president in recent years, but both roles went to others, with the leadership arguing the move was impractical given his imprisonment.

A source close to Barghouti said, “All Palestinians, not just Fatah members, see him as the one who can unite them, as do many countries in the region and beyond. Israel does not want that for well-known reasons.”

“His standing has not diminished over time; it has grown stronger. His presence will remain dominant. He will gain his freedom and unite the Palestinians,” he added.

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Arab World

Mansouri Destruction Tests Limits of Southern Lebanon’s ‘Yellow Line’

Smoke rises from the site of an Israeli strike on the southern Lebanese village of Mansouri on Sept. 9, 2026 (AFP)
Smoke rises from the site of an Israeli strike on the southern Lebanese village of Mansouri on Sept. 9, 2026 (AFP)
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Mansouri Destruction Tests Limits of Southern Lebanon’s ‘Yellow Line’

Smoke rises from the site of an Israeli strike on the southern Lebanese village of Mansouri on Sept. 9, 2026 (AFP)
Smoke rises from the site of an Israeli strike on the southern Lebanese village of Mansouri on Sept. 9, 2026 (AFP)

Israel has stepped up demolitions, explosions and bulldozing in the coastal town of Mansouri, south of Tyre, making it one of the hardest-hit areas in southern Lebanon in recent days.

The intensity of the destruction has raised questions over why Israel is focusing on the town — and whether it is targeting specific military installations or pursuing a broader aim:

reshaping the terrain to control Mansouri by fire without fully occupying it.

A documented tally of Israeli attacks over the past seven days shows a sharp surge in explosions inside the town. More than 75 were recorded between Sept. 3 and midday Thursday, alongside airstrikes and repeated artillery shelling.

The campaign peaked on Wednesday, with dozens of explosions in a single day. Another 12 were recorded on Thursday morning. The figures are a minimum estimate, with further explosions reported but not precisely counted.

According to available information, Israeli forces have recently adopted a method of demolishing homes and residential neighborhoods remotely. Drones drop barrels packed with powerful explosives onto rooftops before detonating them.

A similar tactic was recorded in Bani Hayyan, where a drone dropped explosives onto homes before they were blown up.

Mansouri is strategically important because it lies along the coastal route and close to several positions occupied by Israeli forces. The mounting destruction suggests Israel’s actions go beyond daily military operations, raising questions about the military reality it is seeking to impose in the town and its surroundings.

Reshaping the terrain

Retired Brig. Gen. Hassan Jouni links Israel’s focus on Mansouri to the area’s geography. But he says the presence of Hezbollah infrastructure alone does not explain the scale of the destruction.

“This is linked to Mansouri’s geography and its geographical extent,” Jouni told Asharq Al-Awsat. “The area forms a corridor that Hezbollah historically used extensively in its operations.

My assessment is that infrastructure exists there.”

“The terrain, dense woodland and a long corridor stretching from north of Tyre to the border made the area particularly useful to Hezbollah,” he said.

“It is likely to contain extensive and varied infrastructure, especially given its proximity to the border. During the fighting, reports spoke of drones and rockets being launched from this area.”

But Jouni stressed that this “does not mean every explosion carried out by Israel is targeting such infrastructure.”

“Israel is reshaping the geography and altering the terrain to create a military landscape better suited to its army,” he said.

“The natural geography is being changed to make surveillance, observation and monitoring easier for the Israeli army. What we are seeing is more an effort to reshape the geography than simply to target infrastructure in Mansouri.”

Jouni said the same logic applied to the destruction of buildings.

“Some homes stand at commanding, elevated locations that overlook the surrounding area,” he said.

“They are being destroyed because of the importance of their position — not necessarily because they contain infrastructure or ammunition, or because they belong to Hezbollah or its members. Some are destroyed solely because of where they stand.”

Jouni described Mansouri as a “pivotal target” for Israel because it “lies between Israeli army positions in the western sector and the city of Tyre.”

A shifting operational zone

Jouni said the “yellow line” should not be understood as a fixed boundary on the ground.

“The yellow line being discussed cannot be drawn as a line on the ground,” he said. “It is a series of operational zones extending in the west from the vicinity of Mansouri and Majdal Zoun, moving north toward Haddatha and then east to the vicinity of Ali al-Taher.”

“There is no yellow line like the one in Gaza, marked by signs or concrete blocks,” he added.

“Here, we are talking about a fluid, dynamic operational zone. It has been called the yellow line, but in practice, it is not fixed.”

Jouni said the limits of the Israeli army’s presence in southern Lebanon were defined not by a fixed line, but by shifting operations.

In Israeli calculations, he said, Mansouri is “a vital central target separating the city of Tyre from Israeli army positions along the southern border or in the buffer zones.”

“Israel views Mansouri strategically,” he said. “It is treating the town as a barrier village — and seeking to remove that barrier.”

Control by fire

Retired Brig. Gen. Saeed Qazah said Israel appeared to be trying to strip Mansouri of cover and control it from surrounding positions, rather than occupy it and station troops inside.

“Mansouri appears to contain many Hezbollah installations and infrastructure sites,” Qazah told Asharq Al-Awsat. “I do not know whether Hezbollah members are still able to infiltrate or move through them, but that may be one reason the Israelis are targeting the town so heavily.”

“They appear to be trying to destroy Mansouri — its infrastructure and its buildings — to leave it exposed without having to occupy it physically,” he said.

“They can control it by fire from Majdal Zoun, Bayyada and Shamaa. Once the buildings are destroyed and the area is exposed, they can detect any movement inside and respond.”

Qazah said the scale of destruction did not necessarily mean Israel was preparing to occupy the town.

“Mansouri lies on the edge of what has been declared the yellow line,” he said. “It is close to Majdal Zoun, Bayyada and Shamaa, while Majdal Zoun stands on higher ground overlooking it.”

“The Israelis enter, plant explosives and destroy infrastructure and homes to turn the area into exposed, scorched ground.”

Qazah said Israel appeared to want Mansouri cleared and exposed, allowing it to monitor the town from surrounding hills and positions.

“They would then be able to use firepower against any armed movement inside without having to station forces in the heart of the town, as long as they can control it by fire,” he said.

Qazah said Majdal Zoun lies southeast of Mansouri, while Bayyada and Shamaa lie to the south, alongside the Buyout al-Sayyad area. Their terrain and elevation, he said, allow Israel to monitor the town and its surroundings.

“Mansouri is tied to this coastal route,” Qazah said.

“It appears to contain many installations that are being entered and destroyed, while homes are also being demolished to leave the area devastated and completely exposed, allowing any potential movement inside it to be detected.

“This is particularly important because any movement from Mansouri could head toward Majdal Zoun or areas where Israeli forces are deployed.”

Arab World

Algeria Severs Diplomatic Ties with the UAE

Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune (Photo: The Presidency)
Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune (Photo: The Presidency)
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Algeria Severs Diplomatic Ties with the UAE

Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune (Photo: The Presidency)
Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune (Photo: The Presidency)

Algeria announced Thursday that it's severing diplomatic ties with the United Arab Emirates, in a Foreign Ministry statement reported by state media.

“Having exhausted all the ways for preserving the bilateral relations, the Algerian government has decided, today, to sever diplomatic relations with the United Arab Emirates,” the statement said, according to the official APS news agency.

The ministry statement was also read out on public television.

Arab World

Yemeni Army Makes Battlefield Gains in Al-Jawf, Marib

Yemeni army forces advance in Al-Jawf governorate (government media)
Yemeni army forces advance in Al-Jawf governorate (government media)
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Yemeni Army Makes Battlefield Gains in Al-Jawf, Marib

Yemeni army forces advance in Al-Jawf governorate (government media)
Yemeni army forces advance in Al-Jawf governorate (government media)

Yemeni government forces expanded military operations against the Houthis on several fronts Wednesday, making battlefield gains east of Al-Hazm in Al-Jawf province and cutting Houthi supply lines toward the eastern fronts.

The advances coincided with the launch of a major operation south of Marib, intensified fighting in southern Taiz and along the western coast, and the thwarting of a Houthi boat attack in the Red Sea.

A military source told the Yemeni Armed Forces Media Center that government forces continued advancing east of Al-Hazm to the outskirts of Bir al-Maraziq and cut Houthi supply lines on the city’s eastern fronts.

Operations were continuing amid what the source described as heavy Houthi personnel and material losses. Several Houthi fighters were detained or neutralized and others wounded in the clashes, the source added.

The advance followed several days of government military moves in Al-Jawf, as forces sought to consolidate gains and pressure Houthi supply lines rather than merely retake frontline positions.

Marib and Taiz Developments

In Marib, the Yemeni army’s Third Military Region launched a major operation on the province’s southern fronts targeting Houthi positions and concentrations. Government forces said the operation aimed to secure Marib’s southern belt and push the group away from its defensive lines.

According to a statement from the Third Military Region, the operation, which began early Wednesday and was still underway, killed, wounded and captured a number of Houthis and destroyed vehicles and combat equipment. Army and Popular Resistance forces also seized several positions and brought Houthi supply lines under fire.

The operation coincided with military activity in Marib in recent days and fighting across the province’s northern, western and southern axes, as government forces sought to capitalize on battlefield pressure to prevent the Houthis from regrouping or sending reinforcements to other fronts.

In Taiz, clashes continued on southeastern fronts, alongside artillery fire and airstrikes targeting Houthi positions and concentrations in Al-Mamshat, Al-Ahkum, Ayrim, Al-Qubaytah, Al-Rahidah and Karsh.

A military source said the Houthis had sent reinforcements to several positions, including Al-Akboush School, Al-Zubayrah market, the Al-Ahkum junction, Hawd Hill, Al-Khazjah, Al-Aabous and Al-Manzarah Hill.

On the western coast, the National Resistance’s military media said its forces shot down a Houthi suicide drone over Al-Barh and reported the killing and capture of several commanders linked to a Houthi plan to attack toward Bab al-Mandab.

Among those reportedly captured by the Giants Brigades was Murtada al-Nuami, known as “Abdul Samad,” identified as head of the medical division of the Houthi reserve and rapid intervention forces.

Naval forces separately said they thwarted a Houthi boat attack in the Red Sea after detecting the vessels and engaging them, forcing them to retreat north toward Hodeidah port.

In Al-Dhale, Yemeni Defense Minister Lt. Gen. Taher al-Aqili inspected front lines to assess operations, readiness and deployments, urging troops to remain vigilant and prepared to counter any Houthi attempt to target government positions.