Who Is Mohammed al-Tous?

TEHRAN (Defapress) - In a prisoner exchange deal, Hamas released four female Israeli soldiers on Saturday who had been held in Gaza since October 7, 2023. Among those freed in the exchange was Tous, a member of the Fatah movement, which was founded by the late Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat.

Tous, who had been detained for nearly four decades, joined Fatah in 1970 at the age of 14. Between 1983 and 1985, he participated in several operations targeting Israeli forces and settlements. His activism led to multiple arrests, with his first imprisonment occurring in 1970. After escaping prison in 1975, he was labeled a "wanted man" by Israel and was re-arrested four more times by 1985. An Israeli military court ultimately sentenced him to multiple life sentences, and he remained incarcerated from that point onward.

During his time in prison, Tous became a prominent leader among inmates, advocating for the rights of Palestinian prisoners and participating in hunger strikes to protest Israeli prison policies. His resilience and dedication to the Palestinian cause have made him a symbol of resistance for many Palestinians.

Tous is also a published author. His first book, Eye of the Mountain (2021), recounts his life, resistance activities, and perspectives on the Palestinian struggle. His latest work, Sweetness and Bitterness (2023), documents his experiences in prison, shedding light on the hardships faced by Palestinians detained in Israeli jails.

According to the Palestinian Prisoners’ Club, an advocacy group, the 69-year-old Tous is widely regarded as the "dean" of prisoners in the occupied West Bank.