A GLOBAL campaign was launched on Wednesday to free the jailed Palestinian leader Marwan Barghouti.

The campaign to free Mr Barghouti, who has languished in an Israeli jail since 2002, is supported by more than 200 celebrities, including Margaret Atwood, Javier Bardem, Benedict Cumberbatch, Annie Ernaux, Gary Lineker, Sally Rooney, Mark Ruffalo, Sir Ian McKellen, Delia Smith and Sting.

In an open letter, the signatories expressed “grave concern at the continuing imprisonment of Marwan Barghouti, his violent mistreatment and denial of legal rights while imprisoned.”

They describe Mr Barghouti as a “powerful symbol of unity and a long-time advocate for freedom and dignity for the Palestinian people.”

The signatories said: “We call upon the United Nations and the governments of the world to actively seek the release of Marwan Barghouti from Israeli prison.”

Sometimes dubbed the “Mandela of Palestine,” Mr Barghouti was handed five life sentences by an Israeli court in 2004 over deadly attacks during the 2000-2005 second Palestinian intifada, or uprising.

Mr Barghouti was an MP at the time and refused to recognise the court during his trial, which was later denounced as flawed by the Inter-Parliamentary Union, a body that represents parliaments around the world.

Israel has refused to include Mr Barghouti in any of the prisoner releases agreed with the Palestinians.

Mr Barghouti’s son, Arab, said in October that his father had been severely beaten by Israeli guards during a prison transfer in September, resulting in four broken ribs and head injuries.

In a video he shared on social media in August, Israel’s far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir was seen threatening a physically weak Mr Barghouti at Ganot Prison in central Israel where he is being held.

Meanwhile, in Gaza, Israeli troops are facing accusations that they have used bulldozers to bury the bodies of Palestinians in unmarked graves in a breach of humanitarian law.

US television network CNN said that its investigation had revealed the Palestinians were killed by the Israelis as they tried to reach humanitarian aid distribution centres.

CNN said the unmarked graves exist in the area of the Zikim crossing in the Gaza Strip, where humanitarian aid was distributed under the UN World Food Programme.

CNN also said “the practice of mishandling bodies [of Palestinians] by bulldozing them into unmarked graves can violate international law,” which demands warring parties bury the dead in a way that allows them to be found and identified.

Israel has denied the allegations, claiming the bulldozers were only used for routine operations.