Palestinian sources allege that Marwan Barghouti, a prominent prisoner and former Fatah leader, suffered four broken ribs after being beaten by Israeli prison guards during a transfer between facilities in September. The incident was reported by a Hamas-linked organization, while the Israeli national security minister denied the abuse but stated he was 'proud' of the harsher conditions Barghouti now faces. Barghouti, viewed by many Palestinians as a potential successor to the current Palestinian Authority president, has been imprisoned since 2002 for his role in attacks during the Second Intifada. Recent efforts by Hamas to secure his release in a major prisoner exchange were unsuccessful.