Prisoners freed in Gilad Shalit swap deal reject being exiled or taken away from their families according to Nael Barghouthi the oldest serving Palestinian prisoner in Israeli jails.
“Exile is off the table. These (freed) prisoners will not accept anything but freedom and return to their families” Barghouthi told Palestinian Prisoners Club lawyer.
Barghouthi’s comment followed reports of a new prisoners exchange deal between the Qassam Brigades the armed wing of Hamas and Israel. The armed wing however insisted that the re-arrested prisoners should be released before negotiating the new swap deal.
Barghouthi was released in the Shalit deal in 2011 but the Israeli occupation forces re-arrested him in 2014 and sentenced him to 30 months. He was supposed to be released in December 17 but the Israeli authorities kept him in custody.
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Barghouthi 59 from Kobar village in Ramallah province spent 36 years in Israeli jails and is considered the longest serving prisoner as he served 34 years before being released then he was held for two years and still is in custody.
