Nazzal: Some Arab and Palestinian leaders asked Israel not to release Barghouthi
by Saed Bannoura
Mohammad Nazzal, member of the Political Bureau of the Hamas movement, stated on Tuesday night that some Palestinian and Arab officials asked Israeli officials not to release Marwan Barghouthi, a former legislator and Fatah official.
Mohammad Nazzal of Hamas, Image by Palestine-info
According to Nazzal, the officials said that releasing Barghouthi, a Fatah strong man, will weaken the Palestinian president, Mahmoud Abbas, and boost the political and popular power of Hamas.
In a speech during a Hamas celebration in al-Yarmoul refugee camp in Syria on Tuesday night, Nazzal stated that, “it is weird, obnoxious and unbelievable to know that Arab and Palestinian leaders are asking Israel not to release Barghouthi”.
He added that the officials claimed that Abbas’ power would be hindered by the release of Barghouthi, and they believe that Barghouthi’s release would boost the power of Hamas.
Nazzal stated that he wouldn’t be surprised if those officials denied these claims, and added that the wife of Barghouthi, his lawyers and friends know the officials who are uttering these statements and “know more facts on the issue than we do.”
He stated that Hamas’ demands for a prisoner swap deal did not, and will not discriminate against any detainee based on his political affiliation, and is dealing with this issue in a subjective way.
Nazzal addressed the Palestinian detainees and said that Hamas will not forget them “while others did”, and added that the Israeli soldier, Gilad Shalit, captured by the resistance three years ago, will not be released unless Israel accepts the demands of the resistance, especially the demands regarding the release of detainees who are sentenced to high terms.
- PRESS RELEASE : Protectthe Rohingya. - June 8, 2020
- EID-UL-FITR MESSAGE-1441 (A.H) (2020) - May 23, 2020
- How Israel Legitimizes the Abuse of Palestinian Political Prisoners - April 30, 2020