Hamas makes release of detainees condition for negotiations
Hamas is making the release of the detainees of the 2011 prisoner exchange deal a condition for any future negotiations, saying that Israel did not abide by the agreements.
RAMALLAH, West Bank — Iman al-Barghouti has been living in the Kobar village in Ramallah district for eight months, following the rearrest by the Israelis on June 18, 2014, of her husband, Nael al-Barghouti.
Barghouti spent almost 34 years in Israeli prisons before being released as part of a prisoner swap deal between Hamas and Israel on Oct. 18, 2011. With his rearrest, he joined 60 detainees who had also been released as part of the same deal in 2011.
His 50-year-old wife told Al-Monitor that her husband’s arrest left her in shock. They had been married for only 2½ years, and they were trying to build a stable family life. “After spending 34 years in jail, Nael was trying to experience life and discover it. But the occupation [forces] stole the joy of freedom by arresting him again,” she said.
She's afraid her husband will remain captive, as his health condition is deteriorating. She knows nothing about him because Israel is prohibiting her from visiting the prison and communicating by telephone. “I haven’t visited Nael since his arrest, and we cannot communicate. I'm worried about his health condition since he suffers from [high] cholesterol and needs to undergo a catheterization procedure,” she told Al-Monitor.
