Israel says jailed Palestinian leader Marwan Barghouti will not be released in deal

An Israeli government spokeswoman on Thursday said high profile Palestinian prisoner Marwan Barghouti would not be exchanged as part of the Gaza ceasefire and hostage release deal reached by Israel and Hamas.

When asked by a journalist whether Israel had agreed to release Barghouti, government spokeswoman Shosh Bedrosian told a briefing that: "I can tell you at this point in time that he will not be part of this release."

Barghouti -- from Hamas's rival, the Fatah movement -- was among the Palestinian prisoners Hamas wanted to see released as part of the Gaza deal, according to Egyptian state-linked media.