Marwan Barghouti, 66, is serving five life sentences for masterminding attacks that killed four Israelis, according to court records. A campaign calling for his release was launched by his family at the end of 2025 in coordination with organizations in Britain.
More than 200 cultural figures have signed a petition backing the campaign, according to an Instagram post last week. The roster includes actors who have appeared in Marvel Cinematic Universe films, among them Benedict Cumberbatch, Mark Ruffalo, Ian McKellen, Cate Blanchett, and Tilda Swinton.
Barghouti founded the al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades and leads Tanzim, described as one of Fatah's military wings. He was acquitted of 21 counts of murder in 33 other attacks for lack of sufficient evidence.
The victims of the attacks for which Barghouti was convicted included Salim Barakat, Yoela Chen, Eli Dahan, and Yosef Habi, according to court records. A fifth victim, a Greek monk named Tsibouktsakis Germanus, was killed in an attack in 2001.
