Israel pays the price
Trump: I am considering releasing Marwan Barghouti
In a revealing TIME interview, Donald Trump hinted he may back the release of imprisoned Fatah leader Marwan Barghouti as part of his postwar Gaza vision, while admitting Mahmoud Abbas is “probably not” the right man to lead. Inside Trump’s most controversial peace gamble yet.
In a TIME magazine interview conducted on October 15, 2025, and published on October 23, 2025, President Donald Trump discussed potential Palestinian leadership options for postwar Gaza in the context of the recent Israel-Hamas ceasefire he brokered.
Trump expressed a positive personal view of Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, whom he met at a summit in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, on October 13, 2025, describing him as "a much different man in person than he is in public" and noting that Abbas congratulated him effusively, saying Trump had achieved things no other president could.
However, Trump suggested Abbas is "probably not" the right person to lead postwar Gaza, citing the need for further evaluation while acknowledging Abbas's respect among Palestinians as a "sage" figure.
As an alternative, Trump addressed the possibility of calling on Israel to release Marwan Barghouti, a prominent Fatah leader imprisoned since 2002 and serving multiple life sentences for allegedly directing attacks that killed four Israelis and one Greek Orthodox monk during the Second Intifada.
Trump revealed he had been "literally being confronted with that question about 15 minutes before" the TIME interview and stated, "So I'll be making a decision," without committing to a timeline or outcome.
He noted a broader leadership vacuum among Palestinians, saying, "They don't have a leader right now, at least a visible leader, and they don't really want to, because every one of those leaders has been shot and killed. It’s not a hot job."
Regional observers and polls frequently highlight Barghouti—often called the "Palestinian Mandela"—as a unifying figure capable of bridging Palestinian factions, with surveys showing him as a leading candidate in hypothetical elections for Palestinian Authority president.
Israel has historically opposed his release due to security concerns, and he was not included in the initial prisoner exchanges under the ceasefire deal.
Trump tied these considerations to broader efforts for regional stability, including a "Board of Peace" he chairs to oversee implementation, but no final decision on Barghouti has been announced yet.