Hamas leader demands release of key Palestinian prisoners

BEIRUT — Senior Beirut-based Hamas official Osama Hamdan highlighted the importance of Israel releasing key Palestinian prisoners, including the popular Fatah leader Marwan Barghouti and Secretary-General of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), Ahmad Saadat, during an interview with Lebanese channel LBCI.

"The most important Palestinian prisoners to be released are those sentenced to life imprisonment for committing or leading acts of resistance, regardless of their allegiance," Hamdan told the channel.

This statement comes alongside reports that Hamas has signaled "a positive response" to the proposal for a humanitarian pause in the ongoing conflict with Israel. The draft deal, which includes an exchange of hostages and Palestinian prisoners, was put forward by Qatar following a meeting in France with intelligence officials from the United States, Israel, Qatar, and Egypt.

At a time when potential post-war scenarios are being presented by various parties, many Palestinian nationals and humanitarian aid workers are regularly calling on Israel to release Marwan Barghouti. This notorious prisoner, imprisoned since 2002, is seen by many as a figure capable of restoring Palestinian legitimacy and leading a government that could unify the occupied territories and the Gaza Strip.

Hamdan reiterated Hamas' stance on not making any concessions regarding the prisoners detained by Israel and said the group hopes that "all prisoners will be released."

"The Israeli side remains determined to continue its military operation in Gaza," he said, while Hamas demands "an end to the blockade of the Gaza Strip, the implementation of a total cease-fire and obligations for the reconstruction" of the Palestinian enclave.

"We are committed to the political link between Gaza and the occupied West Bank, and we will not accept any Israeli interference in the conduct of affairs in Palestine," he concluded.