Marwan Barghouti seen in rare footage as Israel's Ben Gvir storms cell to threaten him
The undated footage shows the far-right minister storming the solitary confinement section of an Israeli prison, confronting a visibly frail Barghouti dressed in a plain white T-shirt.
Surrounded by guards and cameras, the Israeli official says, 'You will not defeat us. Whoever targets the people of Israel and kills our sons and women will be erased. You must know this.'
The video has provoked outrage. Hussein Al Sheikh, Vice President of Palestine and deputy head of the Palestine Liberation Organisation's Executive Committee, called the incident 'the height of psychological, moral, and physical terrorism' against Palestinian prisoners and a violation of international conventions.
Mr Al Sheikh said the move reflected 'unprecedented recklessness' in Israel's treatment of detainees and urged urgent intervention by international organisations to protect them.
Mr Barghouti's wife, Fadwa, said she barely recognised her husband. 'I didn't recognise you or your features, but you remain free despite everything," she wrote on Facebook.
The footage surfaced amid Israel-Hamas ceasefire talks, which in past iterations have included the possible release of Marwan Barghouti, the most senior and popular Palestinian prisoner, often dubbed the 'Palestinian Nelson Mandela".
As head of the Tanzim, Fatah's armed wing, he played a prominent role in the Second Intifada, which erupted in 2000. He became one of Israel's most wanted men, and in 2002 he was arrested.
In May 2004, he was convicted of five murders and sentenced to five life terms, charges he has consistently denied.
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