After release from Israeli prison, Amjad al-Najjar finds himself exiled in Egypt,separated from his kids,Akram and Julia,just five and two. Family's longing for reunion is strong. Kids rush to phone,hoping to hear dad's voice. Conceived with smuggled sperm during Amjad’s decade-long detention,they've never met him. Dream of leaving Ramallah to finally embrace him.
Amjad, 48,was freed in January 2025 in a prisoner swap with Hamas, along with 228 other Palestinians. He pictured a joyful reunion with family,but Israeli travel restrictions left him stuck in exile,unable to see his children. “A part of this freedom remained incomplete because my first meeting with family didn’t happen as I had imagined,” he said . Joy of release overshadowed by separation.
During imprisonment,Amjad missed births of Akram and Julia,following their arrivals only through news from behind bars. The experience was bittersweet,filled with joy and pain. “One of the hardest things was becoming a father during imprisonment,” he said,emphasizing emotional toll of missing such moments in his kids' lives.
Ten-year-old Bushra also yearns to meet her father,Ahmed Hamed,who spent 22 years in Israeli jail. Despite his release last year,her mother,Inas, faced repeated denials from Israeli authorities for travel permission to visit him in Egypt . In March,Bushra managed to visit with her aunt,but upon returning to West Bank,both were detained and interrogated by Israeli intelligence.
Inas shared heartache of her son Baraa,just a few months old when his father was arrested. Now 22,Baraa is preparing for wedding without father present. “This situation is truly appalling,” Inas lamented,reflecting on incomplete joy of husband's release. She plans to petition Israeli Supreme Court for travel permission,though uncertainty looms over outcome .
Separation extends beyond life. In April,family of Riyad al-Amour,exiled to Egypt after 23 years in prison,was denied right to bury him in West Bank. Riyad,who had pacemaker,fitted,was released in October 2024 but died five months later . His wife traveled to Jordan to avoid restrictions,managed to see him before death,but their five children were barred from leaving West Bank to say goodbye.
“Last time I saw him was during my visit to prison in 2022,” said his brother Majed,describing relationship as more than familial. “We were close friends,not just brothers.” He expressed frustration over inability to be with Riyad in final moments,highlighting ongoing struggles of Palestinian families under Israeli restrictions.
Since 2025 prisoner exchange,383 Palestinian prisoners deported from West Bank. Exact numbers elusive,testimonies suggest at least a hundred families affected by travel restrictions. Center for Defense of Liberties and Civil Rights (Hurriyat) reported over 8,700 travel bans imposed on Palestinians in West Bank from 2014 to 2025,affecting many families of former prisoners.
Shawan Jabarin,director of human rights organization Al-Haq,criticized Israel’s policy of forced separation,labeling it collective punishment that violates rights of released prisoners to see families . He asserted residents of occupied territories should have right to travel without impediments,emphasizing families shouldn't be punished for loved ones' pasts…
