Israel threatening Barghouti’s life in jail: Palestinian official

A senior Palestinian official says Marwan Barghouti, a prominent Palestinian detainee, is being isolated and tortured by Israeli authorities.

Hussein al-Sheikh, the secretary-general of the executive committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), in a Monday post on X said Israeli authorities were endangering Barghouti’s life.

Sheikh said Barghouti was being exposed to “isolation, torture and attempts to coerce, humiliate and beat him, putting his life in danger.”

“We call on the international community, institutions and international organizations to intervene immediately and urgently in order to stop the repressive measures against our prisoners and our leaders in the occupation prisons, protect them, and release them immediately,” Sheikh said.

Barghouti, 64, has reportedly been beaten by Israeli guards in recent days.

Last month, Israel’s far-right minister Itamar Ben Gvir said Barghouti had been placed in solitary confinement.

Barghouti was a prominent leader in the first and second Intifadas. He has been behind bars for over two decades.

Israel accused Barghouti of having founded the al-Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigades in the early 2000s.