GAZA, June 17 (IslamOnline.net & News Agencies) - Although Palestinian President Yasser Arafat suggested Tuesday, June 17, that Marwan Barghuti, Fatah Secretary in the West Bank, would be freed by Israel within two days, the report was denied by Israeli officials.

The Palestinian radio said Barghuti, who is jailed by the Israeli occupation forces on alleged links to anti-Israel attacks, could be freed by Thursday, June 19, as Arafat was personally following the case.

It did not say if Barghuti, a member of the Palestinian Legislative Council, would be released on bail while his trial would continue.

Arab Israeli Knesset member Ahmed Tibi asserted, however, that Israeli deputy defense minister Zeev Boim dismissed the reports as "baseless."

In a statement, a copy of which was obtained by IslamOnline.net correspondent in Amman, Tibi added Boim told him over the phone that legal proceedings against Barghuti would follow their course.

The Arab Israeli lawmaker slammed the Israeli ill-treatment of Barghuti, asserting that his release along with all other Palestinian detainees should accompany the negotiation process between the Palestinians and Israelis.

Israeli Attorney General Elyakim Rubinstein claimed Barghuti was "one of the main architects of terrorism" and his release would be "an insult to the judicial system."

Jawad Boulos, lawyer for Barghuti, told Al-Jazeera that he received no “official information” that his client would be released.

Bolous confirmed Barghuti was “no good health, and even receives no medical treatment in the filthy cell in which he was jailed.”

Israel charges Barghouti of alleged complicity in attacks against targets in Israel that have taken the lives of 26 Israelis. Barghuti denied the charges.

The Israeli prosecution completed presenting its case on 2 June, but Barghouti, who does not recognize the right of the Israeli court to try him, has not decided whether to present a defense.

Barghuti has insisted that he remains a political figure and has no connections with “violent resistance”.

One of Barghuti's lawyers was in Cairo last week for discussions with Egyptian officials, leading to speculation that a deal might be in the making to trade Barghouti for Azzam Azzam, an Israeli Arab imprisoned in Egypt since 1997 on espionage charges, the Independent reported.

There was speculation that Arafat's late-night call to Barghouti's wife, Fadwa, could be linked to these efforts, the British paper added.

Asked about the Egyptian role in the case, Boulos said that the Arab country was involved form the start, “as it was the first we contacted with,” when the Palestinian resistance leader was captured by Israeli occupation forces in April, 2002.