Hamas official says Gaza deal must include release of Marwan Barghouti

Osama Hamdan, a senior Hamas official based in Beirut, has said the group is seeks the release of thousands of Palestinian prisoners held in Israel, including those serving life sentences.

In an interview with Lebanon's LBC TV on Friday he mentioned two by name, including Marwan Barghouti, a popular Palestinian uprising leader seen as a unifying figure.

Barghouti is currently serving five life sentences for allegedly plotting attacks on Israeli targets during the Second Intifada. 

In addition to Barghouti, Hamdan named Ahmad Saadat, head of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine.

Saadat is serving a 30-year sentence for his alleged role in the 2001 assassination of Israeli tourism minister Rehavam Ze'evi.