President Donald Trump suggested he could urge Israel to free imprisoned Fatah leader Marwan Barghouti — widely seen as the most popular and unifying figure among Palestinians – as Washington seeks to address the leadership void in postwar Gaza.
Trump, in an interview published Thursday, said he has discussed the potential for Barghouti's release with White House aides.
"I was literally being confronted with that question about 15 minutes before you called,” Trump told Time magazine interview when asked about Barghouti. "So I’ll be making a decision.”
The White House did not respond to a request for comment about Trump's deliberations on the matter. But the president's acknowledgment of the internal discussions underscores the difficult task of finding credible political figures to oversee governance in Gaza as the U.S. and Israel say they are committed to preventing Hamas from continuing to rule the territory.
Barghouti was not among the prisoners Israel agreed to release this month in exchange for hostages under the Gaza cease-fire deal, despite Hamas officials calling for his freedom.
