Israeli authorities are transferring Palestinian leader Marwan Barghouti to the Nafha prison in southern Naqab, as part of a larger plan to relocate thousands of Palestinian prisoners to the desert region, Israeli media reported.

Seventy other inmates were also transferred to the desert prison, according to the Israeli newspaper Haaretz, and the relocation could see as many as 2000 prisoners transferred.

Israeli authorities already transferred many prisoners from the high-security Haradim prison, in the north of the country, in an attempt to sever relations between Palestinian prisoners following the September 2021 breakout of Gilboa.

The move comes just weeks after Israel swore in a new ultranationalist far-right government, which includes the appointment of extremist settler Itamar Ben-Gvir as national security minister.

The plan had been put in place before Ben-Gvir took office, according to Haaretz, but has been speeded up since the far-right politician was made a minister.

Marwan Barghouthi is a Palestinian leader who rose to prominence in the Fatah movement during the Second Palestinian Intifada, which broke out in 2000 following the failure of Camp David peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians.

(The New Arab, PC, SOCIAL)