An Israeli court has sentenced Marwan Barghouthi, a Palestinian uprising leader widely seen as a potential successor to President Yasser Arafat, to five consecutive life terms in prison on murder convictions.
Barghouthi (45), denied involvement in ambushes by militants from his Fatah faction that killed five people.
A member of the Palestinian parliament, he refused to recognise the jurisdiction of the Tel Aviv court that convicted him on murder charges last month but acquitted him in 21 other killings, citing insufficient evidence.
Barghouthi, a top West Bank leader of Fatah, said throughout the case he opposed the killing of innocent people in a Palestinian uprising that began in 2000.
Supporters have said he has no intention of appealing against the verdict or asking the court for a reduced sentence.