Palestinian Groups Raise Alarm Over Marwan Barghouti After Son's Deleted Post Alleging Prison Abuse

Palestinian Groups Voice Concern Over Barghouti's Safety

Palestinian organisations have expressed serious concern for the safety of jailed Fatah leader Marwan Barghouti after his son, Qassam Barghouti, published — then deleted — a Facebook post saying he had received a phone call alleging that Israeli prison guards had beaten Barghouti severely.

Allegations and Official Response

According to Qassam's now-deleted post, the caller identified themselves as a Palestinian inmate and phoned from an Israeli number. The caller reportedly said guards had left Barghouti "physically shattered," allegedly breaking ribs and teeth and cutting part of his ear. Qassam later said he had tried to reach the caller again but was unable to do so.

The Israel Prison Service (IPS) rejected the allegations in a statement to The Times of Israel, calling them "another total lie" and "propaganda" against its staff.

Reactions From Palestinian Organisations And Officials

The Palestinian Prisoner’s Society condemned the episode as a "new act of intimidation" against Barghouti's family and said it had intensified their already serious concerns for his welfare. The society accused Israeli authorities of pursuing policies designed to break prisoners' families psychologically, a charge it made in a statement posted on Telegram.

The Palestinian presidency accused Israel of "continuous attacks and retaliatory measures" and held the Israeli government fully responsible for the safety of Barghouti and other Palestinian detainees, according to a statement carried by the Wafa news agency.

Knesset member Ofer Cassif (Hadash-Ta'al) said he had spoken with Barghouti's family about the call; he repeated the reported claims that Barghouti's teeth, ribs and fingers had been broken and part of his ear cut off, but added that the family hoped the reports were only intimidation and would prove false.

Context And Campaign For Release

Barghouti has been detained since 2002 and is serving five life sentences in Israel on charges related to attacks during the second Intifada; he denies those charges. He is a senior Fatah leader and is widely regarded among Palestinians as a unifying figure. His family recently launched a global "Free Marwan" campaign, warning they fear he could die in custody; hundreds of supporters, including public figures such as writer Margaret Atwood and actor Javier Bardem, have signed the campaign.

Barghouti's lawyer has said that since the Gaza war that began in October 2023, Barghouti has been denied family visits and has suffered assaults in custody. In August, a video broadcast by Israel's Channel 12 showed National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir at Ganot Prison, taunting Barghouti; relatives said the brief sighting showed a man appearing exhausted and emaciated.

Broader Prison Rights Concerns

Released prisoner Mohammad al-Ardah told Al Jazeera that Israeli forces conducted weekly raids in prisons during which Palestinian detainees were severely beaten; he said the latest reports he had heard suggested Barghouti had three ribs broken. Human-rights organisations have documented widespread concerns about conditions in Israeli prisons.

Palestinian prisoner-rights groups reported that, as of November 2025, more than 9,300 Palestinians were held in Israeli detention facilities, including 3,368 under administrative detention without charge or trial. They also report that at least 94 Palestinian prisoners and detainees have died in Israeli custody since October 2023.

Physicians for Human Rights Israel (PHRI) published a report in November accusing Israeli authorities of "systematic killings and coverups" and noting that fewer than 30 Palestinians had died in custody in preceding years. On Thursday, the Commission of Detainees and Ex-Detainees Affairs and the Palestinian Prisoner’s Society confirmed three additional deaths in detention, identifying the men involved and saying prisoners continue to die from alleged torture, starvation, medical neglect, sexual assault and other violations.

What We Know And What Is Unverified

The alleged phone call and the specific injuries reported by Qassam Barghouti remain unverified. The IPS has strongly denied the claims. Independent verification, including access to Barghouti by independent medical or legal observers, has not been publicly confirmed.

Note: This article reports allegations made by Barghouti's family and statements from Palestinian organisations, alongside denials from Israeli authorities and reporting from released detainees and human-rights groups. Where possible, claims are attributed to named sources; readers should be aware which details remain unverified.