Israel tightens solitary confinement of jailed Fatah leader Barghouti

Marwan Barghouti's office said Thursday that Israeli prison authorities have tightened solitary confinement conditions for the jailed Fatah leader at Ganot Prison, where he has been held in isolation since November 2023, describing the measures as "systematic arbitrary practices" targeting the prominent Palestinian detainee since the start of Israel's war on Gaza. According to the office, Barghouti has faced repeated transfers between solitary wings across several prisons, with harsher measures including restrictions on lawyer and family communication alongside reduced medical access.

Disciplinary punishment and legal barriers

Israel Army Radio reported Tuesday that authorities imposed an additional two weeks of solitary confinement as punishment for a disciplinary violation issued last week, prompting his lawyer to file an appeal after being denied recent visits, with prison officials scheduling the earliest possible meeting for September. The restrictions follow a February 18 incident in which Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir raided Barghouti's cell and threatened to kill him, according to footage circulated by Israeli media.

High-profile detention

Barghouti, a Fatah Central Committee member arrested in April 2002, is serving five life sentences for murder and attempted murder. Despite his popularity among Palestinians and speculation he could emerge as a future leader, Israel has excluded him from prisoner exchange agreements that have seen thousands of other detainees released.

Violations against Palestinian prisoners have escalated alongside Israel's war on Gaza since October 2023. More than 9,400 Palestinians are currently held in Israeli prisons, where rights groups report systematic torture, starvation, and medical neglect, according to Palestinian and Israeli advocacy organizations.