The family of popular Palestinian prisoner Marwan Barghouti is urging President Donald Trump to intervene for his release from an Israeli prison. This call comes after Trump commented that the Gaza region needs someone to fill its current leadership void.

Barghouti, 66, is the most popular among the 250 prisoners who were freed as part of the US-brokered Gaza cease-fire deal with Hamas reached on September 29. However, Israel has refused to release him.

“Mr. President, a true partner awaits you,” the family wrote in a letter to Trump, as reported by the Jerusalem Post. “Someone who can help realize our shared dream of a just and lasting peace in the region. Help free Marwan Barghouti for the freedom of the Palestinian people and peace for future generations.”

Barghouti is currently serving multiple life sentences after being convicted in 2004 for terror attacks in Israel that resulted in five deaths. Despite this, he remains a highly influential figure in Palestinian politics.

Last week, Trump indicated that he might press Israel to free Barghouti as part of efforts to address the leadership vacuum in post-war Gaza. In an October 23 phone interview with Time Magazine, Trump revealed that he had been discussing the matter with his White House aides.

“I was literally being confronted with that question about 15 minutes before you called,” Trump said in response to a question about Barghouti. “That was my question of the day. So I’ll be making a decision.”

“They don’t have a leader right now,” Trump added about the Palestinians. “At least a visible leader. And they don’t really want to, because every one of those leaders has been shot and killed. It’s not a hot job.”

Before his conviction, Barghouti served as a Palestinian member of Parliament in the West Bank and led a faction of the Fatah political party, which was accused of conducting attacks on Israel during the Second Intifada.

Israel classifies Barghouti as a terrorist, but many Palestinians regard him as one of the few unifying political figures. He is known for advocating a two-state solution and is considered a potential successor to Mahmoud Abbas, president of the Palestinian National Authority.

“No one can unite Palestinians like him,” Barghouti’s brother, Moqbel, told reporters, underscoring his influential role in Palestinian politics.
https://nypost.com/2025/11/01/world-news/family-urges-president-trump-to-free-high-profile-palestinian-prisoner-marwan-barghouti/