A proposal to end the war in Gaza that was being studied by Hamas on Sunday night brings freedom closer for the best-known and most controversial Palestinian political prisoner, the man a recent opinion poll suggested should be the territory’s next president.
Hamas spokesmen have said that top of their list for any exchange of prisoners for Israeli hostages would be Marwan Barghouti, a veteran West Bank leader whose history symbolises the divide with Israel.
To Israelis he is a terrorist mastermind, convicted of five murders and serving life in prison. The Israeli government has not said it will agree to his release, nor accepted that it is now inevitable, which many negotiators believe.
His supporters, though, say he is the Palestinian Nelson Mandela. Every