Meet the Six Palestinian Figures Hamas Fights to Free, Israel Holds Firm

Hamas has placed six top Palestinian national leaders at the top of its list of detainees for release in exchange for a ceasefire with Israel. The move seeks to secure freedom for key political and military figures held by the occupation. So far, Israel has refused to release several of these leaders.

Here is everything you need to know about Israel’s most formidable Palestinian figures.

Marwan Barghouti

Marwan Barghouti, or Palestine’s Mandela, is a senior Fatah leader detained since 2002. He received five life sentences plus 40 additional years. Israel accused him of founding the Al-Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigades during the Second Intifada.

Barghouthi is seen as a potential unifying figure for Palestinians and has survived multiple assassination attempts. In 2021, he announced his candidacy for the Palestinian presidential elections, defying the restrictions imposed on him. Hamas has been putting his name as part of each prisoner exchange deal but Israel keepsvrefusing to release him and has clearly stated he will not be released as part of the current ceasefire deal.

Abdullah Barghouti

Abdullah Barghouti, a relative of Marwan, is known as the “Hamas Engineer” and a genius bomb-making expert. He has been jailed since 2003 for carrying out multiple resistance operations that killed 66 colonizers. He serves 67 life sentences and 5200 years. An Israeli officer, who was in charge of his file said, “If Israel were forced to leave its territories for any reason and under any circumstance, it would take Abdullah Barghouti with it.”

Ibrahim Hamed

Ibrahim Hamed served as the operations commander of the Al-Qassam Brigades in the West Bank during the Second Intifada.

He underwent a six-year trial, facing the largest legal file in the history of Israeli courts, which spanned 12,000 pages. Known as “The Ghost” for his exceptional ability to evade capture and maneuver stealthily, Hamed had been a primary target for Israel for eight years before his eventual detention on May 23, 2006.

He was convicted for orchestrating major operations in occupied Jerusalem. He currently serves 54 life sentences.

Ahmed Saadat

Ahmed Saadat is the secretary-general of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) and a leading figure of Palestinian leftist politics. He has been detained since 2006 for planning the assassination of an Israeli official. Saadat is serving a 30-year sentence.

Despite his jail sentence, Saadat remained politically active from inside the prison, continuing to lead the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine and participate in the movement’s political decision-making. Some observers consider him one of the few leaders in the world who have been able to effectively manage a political and military organization from within prison, making him a true symbol of Palestinian resilience and resistance.

Hassan Salama

Hassan Salama is a senior Hamas operative accused of planning revenge operations after the killing of Hamas engineer Yahya Ayyash. He received 48 life sentences and an additional 30 years for orchestrating operation inside the occupation state of Israel.

Hassan’s love story with his fiancée Ghufran Zamel is a testament to resilience and sacrifice under extreme conditions. It began when Ghufran was deeply moved by his book about the “Sacred Revenge” operations and sought to learn more about him. Their relationship grew through letters, delivered via fellow female detainees, developing into a deep bond of love and mutual respect. On November 14, 2010, they held their engagement ceremony, despite they were not able to see each other for 16 years, relying solely on their written correspondence.

Abbas Al-Sayed

Abbas Al-Sayed is a senior Al-Qassam Brigades commander in the occupied West Bank. Detained in 2002, he was sentenced to 35 life terms plus 150 years for his role in 18 resistance operations, including the 2002 Park Hotel attack in Netanya that killed 30 colonizers. Israel has consistently excluded him from previous prisoner exchanges.

Abbas Al-Sayed is known for his ability to lead the Palestinian detainees inside Israeli jails. He became the head of the Supreme Committee of Hamas detainees across all prisons, playing a central role in organizing strikes and coordinating resistance efforts. His influence is so significant that Israel considers him “the most dangerous Palestinian detainee.”