On Oct. 29, the website of The Elders, a high level group of former statespersons, published the following statement:
The Elders today call for the immediate release of Palestinian leader Marwan Barghouti from Israeli prison, as an important step towards reviving a lasting two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. We encourage President Trump to demand his release, capitalising on the opportunity opened up by the fragile ceasefire deal in Gaza.
The ceasefire has offered some relief to the population of Gaza but the humanitarian situation remains catastrophic. We condemn Israel’s latest attacks on Gaza City as a flagrant violation of the deal. Much more pressure is still needed on Israel to end the deliberate obstruction of aid. The ceasefire deal is only the first step towards a lasting two-state solution. This will require an Israeli government willing to support it, as well as the revitalisation of political life across the occupied Palestinian territory to ensure Palestinian voices are heard at all levels.
Marwan Barghouti has been a long-term advocate for a two-state solution by peaceful means, and is consistently the most popular Palestinian leader in opinion polls. But Israel has so far refused to release Barghouti as part of President Trump’s deal.
We condemn the ill-treatment, including torture, of Marwan Barghouti and other Palestinian prisoners, many of whom are arbitrarily detained. Israeli authorities must abide by their responsibilities under international law to protect prisoners’ human rights. Only the Palestinian people have the right to choose their own leadership. We welcome the commitment by President Mahmoud Abbas to hold free and fair elections under international auspices within the next twelve months to rejuvenate Palestinian governance.
