Hamas demands release of fearsome ‘symbol of terrorism’ murderer in Gaza deal talks

 Hamas is demanding the release of vicious murderers — including one dubbed “the symbol of terrorism” by Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu — in negotiations this week to release all remaining Israeli hostages and end the war in Gaza.

At the top of Hamas’ prisoner swap list is Marwan Barghouti, the imprisoned former West Bank leader who earned the fearsome nickname after orchestrating deadly terror attacks during the Second Intifada.

The 66-year-old was jailed in 2002 for the attacks, which killed five civilians.

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Marwan Barghuti, the leader of Yasser Arafat’s Fatah movement in the West Bank, is flanked by Israeli policemen as he is led to a police vehicle on Sept. 29, 2003.AFP via Getty Images

Israeli officials say freeing Barghouti would hand Hamas a propaganda victory and embolden extremists across the region.

“Hamas isn’t negotiating peace,” one Israeli source told the Times of Israel. “They’re negotiating the future of terrorism.”

The hard-line demand comes as Israel and Hamas continue tense cease-fire talks at Egypt’s Red Sea resort city of Sharm el-Sheikh — the latest attempt to halt two years of brutal conflict since Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, massacre in southern Israel.

The negotiations — which include US, Qatari and Turkish mediators — aim to finalize a broad cease-fire deal, bring 48 Israeli hostages home and pave the way for a full Israel Defense Forces withdrawal from Gaza.

Representing the US are special presidential envoy Steve Witkoff and President Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, who arrived in Egypt early Wednesday and privately pledged not to leave without a deal in hand. The discussions are expected to last for several more days.

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Jared Kushner and White House special envoy Steve Witkoff arrive for a press conference held by President Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in the State Dining Room at the White House on Sept. 29, 2025.REUTERS

As the negotiations continue, each side is accusing the other of dragging their feet.

Israeli negotiators insist no lifetime convicts or unrepentant killers will walk free, while Hamas leader Fawzi Barhoum said in a statement Tuesday that the terror group would not allow Israel to end the war as victors.

“Despite the brutal military force, unlimited support, and full American partnership in the war of extermination in Gaza, they have not and will not succeed in achieving a false image of victory,” the terrorist leader claimed.

Other known terrorists Hamas wants freed from Israeli prisons are Abbas al-Sayed, architect of a suicide attack that killed 30 people at a shopping center in Israel, and Ibrahim Hamed, head of Hamas’ military wing in the West Bank who has killed at least 46 Israelis, according to the Times of Israel.

Another central point of issue for Israel has been Hamas’ unwillingness to disarm as part of the agreement.

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A young girl holds a picture of Palestinian prisoner Marwan Barghouti during a protest demanding his release in Nablus.ZUMAPRESS.com

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Palestinian protesters hold placards of Fatah leader Marwan Barghouti and other detainees.ZUMAPRESS.com

The terrorist group on Tuesday denied reports circulating that Hamas had agreed to gradually hand over its weapons under international monitoring.

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi has hinted that a signing ceremony could take place before the weekend if both sides agree, possibly with Trump in attendance, but few believe the deal is imminent as the sticking points — prisoner releases, disarmament and who governs Gaza next — remain unresolved.

Meanwhile, the war rages on, with Israeli jets pounding Hamas positions in central Gaza as militants continue to fire rockets toward southern Israel.

https://nypost.com/2025/10/08/world-news/hamas-demands-release-of-marwan-barghouti-in-gaza-deal-talks/

Hair loss treatment used by millions linked to suicide risk: ‘Evidence is no longer anecdotal’

 Balding might bruise your ego — but your hair-loss fix could be messing with your mind.

New research out of Israel suggests that patients using a popular drug for male pattern baldness face a significantly higher risk of mood disorders and suicidal thoughts compared to those who don’t.

“The evidence is no longer anecdotal,” Dr. Mayer Brezis, a professor at the Hadassah-Hebrew University Medical Center and lead author of the study, said in a statement. “We now see consistent patterns across diverse populations. And the consequences may have been tragic.”

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A new study is warning about potential side effects linked to a popular hair loss treatment.Forewer – stock.adobe.com

The drug in question? Finasteride — better known as Propecia — which was approved by the US Food and Drug Administration in the ’90s.

Animal studies have linked finasteride to long-term brain inflammation and changes in the hippocampus, the brain’s center for learning, memory and emotions.

While the FDA added depression as a potential side effect in 2011 and suicidal ideation and behavior in 2022, Brezis found apparent warnings dating back to 2002.

In a trial linked to one user’s suicide, Brezis uncovered internal FDA documents purportedly showing that experts recommended adding “suicidal thoughts and behavior” to the drug’s label back in 2010.

“The advice was rejected by the agency without disclosing the internal discussion and the rationale for the final decision,” Brezis wrote last month in the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry.

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Finasteride was approved by the FDA in 1997 to treat male pattern hair loss.luchschenF – stock.adobe.com
In another internal FDA document from 2010, Brezis said he found large sections blacked out as “confidential,” including estimates of how many people might be affected by the purported side effects.

By 2011, the agency had logged 18 suicides tied to finasteride, but Brezis argues the actual toll could be thousands worldwide, based on global use of the drug.

“It wasn’t just underreporting,” he wrote. “It was a systemic failure of pharmacovigilance.”

Brezis partly blames Merck, finasteride’s original maker, for allegedly skipping basic safety research using database analyses — and regulators for allegedly failing to demand it or conduct it themselves.

Given his findings, Brezis is calling for a suspension on the marketing of finasteride for cosmetic use until its safety profile is fully reassessed.

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The risk of male pattern baldness increases with age.New Africa – stock.adobe.com

He’s also pushing the FDA to mandate and strictly enforce post-approval studies for drugs like finasteride and to ensure drug histories are systematically recorded in suicide investigations.

The Post contacted the FDA and Merck for comment.

A sweeter solution

If Brezis’ findings have you eyeing that bottle of finasteride with suspicion, don’t panic — your dream of regrowing a full head of hair isn’t over yet.

There’s still topical minoxidil — the active ingredient in Rogaine — which is FDA-approved to treat androgenetic alopecia (a k a male or female pattern baldness).

It’s available over-the-counter in the US, but there’s a catch: Topical minoxidil has poor water solubility and skin absorption, meaning not all of it actually makes it to your hair follicles.

Fortunately, a new study may have found the solution — stevioside, a natural sweetener that comes from the stevia plant.

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Stevioside may help make topical minoxidil more effective at promoting hair growth.aneta_gu – stock.adobe.com

Researchers found that mixing stevioside with minoxidil helped it soak into the skin better. When tested on mice with androgenetic alopecia, the combo jump-started hair follicles into growth, leading to new hair.

“Using stevioside to enhance minoxidil delivery represents a promising step toward more effective and natural treatments for hair loss, potentially benefiting millions worldwide,” co-corresponding author Lifeng Kang of the University of Sydney in Australia said in a statement.

Androgenetic alopecia is common, affecting an estimated 80 million in the US alone. By 50, more than half of men and a quarter of women will experience some degree of hair thinning or loss.

Studies show minoxidil works best in younger users and in the early stages of hair loss, when follicles are still active but shrinking, according to the Mayo Clinic.

But heads up: if you stop using it, the progress won’t last. Hair loss usually returns within months after treatment ends.

https://nypost.com/2025/10/08/health/hair-loss-treatment-used-by-millions-linked-to-suicide-risk/