Between feelings of deep joy at her release from an Israeli prison and feelings of deep sadness over the suffering of the people of Gaza who paid the price for her freedom, Yasmine Abu Srour recalls the details of her life in detention.
Yasmine was arrested by the Israeli army in December 2023 and released on January 19 under a prisoner exchange deal between Hamas and Israel. She describes her detention experience as the most difficult ever.
The 26-year-old from Bethlehem has been arrested four times by Israeli forces, and she has spent three years of her life behind bars.
“My first arrest was when I was only 16,” Yasmine tells The New Arab. “I was very afraid at the time, especially as I had never been away from my mother.”
She adds: “Inside the Israeli prisons, there was no life in the true sense of the word. The prison administration deprived us of our most basic human rights. There was no sufficient food, no clean water, we were never given any personal hygiene tools. We lived in very harsh conditions, which became worse after October 7, 2023.”
“How can I thank the people of Gaza.. They are the ones who endured the bombing, death and siege just so we could have freedom”
Yasmine points out that occupation forces targeted both male and female prisoners more regularly during Israel’s 15 months of genocide. “They tried to break our morale in every possible way,” she says.
“They prevented lawyers from visiting us, cut off the world’s news from us. Even when we learned about the exchange deal, they tried to manipulate our feelings by telling us that we would not be released and that we would spend our entire lives in prison.”
Despite her immense joy at being freed, Yasmine does not hide her feelings of guilt towards the people of Gaza who were subjected to a brutal genocide to complete the deal.
“Gaza is not just a city; it is an icon of steadfastness and sacrifice. How can I thank the people of Gaza in a manner befitting their greatness?” They are the ones who endured the bombing, death and siege just so we could have freedom,” Yasmine says.
During her detention, she was prevented from completing her secondary education at her school, but this did not prevent her from completing her studies inside the prison. “Now that I have achieved my freedom, I will complete my university education. Perhaps I will study law to defend prisoners still suffering in the cells.”
Freedom is incomplete without all prisoners’ release
After 11 months spent in Israeli prisons, journalist Bushra al-Tawil was finally able to gain her freedom under the exchange deal between Israel and Hamas on January 19.
Bushra recalls the incident of her arrest in March 2024 from her home in the city of al-Bireh in central West Bank.
“I woke up to the sound of violent knocking on my door. We quickly opened it, and Israeli occupation forces stormed the house, heavily armed,” the 32-year-old tells The New Arab.
“They headed straight towards me, violently snatched my phone and threatened to destroy the house if I did not hand over my second phone.”
“We were subjected to daily abuse; mistreatment, endless psychological pressure, and solitary confinement”
Bushra continues, “The soldiers spread out throughout the house, it was absolute chaos. They trashed the house. Then one of the officers pushed me into a room, closed the door, and started screaming and insulting me and my family. I tried to hold myself together, but his cruelty made me scream, and the incident ended with my arrest.”
This is Bushra’s sixth arrest and she has spent more than five years of her life in Israeli prisons simply for one reason: she is a journalist specialising in conveying Israel’s violations against Palestinian prisoners to the world.
Bushra describes her life in the Israeli Sharon Prison as full of suffering, saying: “We were subjected to daily abuse; mistreatment, endless psychological pressure, and solitary confinement.”
With the announcement of the prisoner exchange deal, Bushra felt a mixture of contradictory feelings. “The joy is indescribable, the Palestinian resistance has given us a new life,” she says, “but freedom is not complete until the last Palestinian prisoner is released.”
Despite everything she has been through, Bushra still clings to her dreams and ambitions. She graduated in 2013 from the Modern College in Ramallah with a Major in Journalism and Photography.
“I aspire to continue my journalistic work and shed light on the issue of prisoners, as it is part of my identity and personality,” Bushra tells The New Arab.
An elderly woman in solitary confinement
The joy of the Saadat family was indescribable as they welcomed their mother, 67-year-old Abla, who was released from Israeli prisons under the exchange deal on January 19.
Abla Saadat is the wife of Ahmed Saadat, the Secretary-General of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, who has been imprisoned in Israeli prisons for 18 years.
Abla was arrested at dawn on September 17, 2024, when occupation forces stormed her home in Ramallah without prior warning or any charges.
“At three in the morning, we woke up to a violent sound resounding throughout our house. The soldiers stormed the place, handcuffed me and blindfolded me, without offering any explanation for my arrest,” Abla shares with The New Arab.
“All they said was that I was a ‘threat to Israel’s security’, which is the phrase they use to justify their crimes.”
Abla went through a harsh experience of being transferred between prisons, which she describes as “a journey of psychological and physical torture.”
“I was transferred between investigation centres and prisons on a journey that lasted several days, during which I was subjected to constant threats and inhumane conditions. They did not take my old age into account, but rather systematically humiliated and degraded me.”
“While I was in solitary confinement, I would close my eyes and remember the laughter of my grandchildren and the voice of my husband Ahmed. Those small moments gave me the strength to endure this injustice.”
The soldiers threw Abla into a narrow solitary confinement room in the Damon Prison for 12 consecutive days. “The room was no larger than two metres, with no windows. I had no means of communication and I was prevented from leaving or seeing anyone. I felt that time had stopped, but my will was stronger than the walls surrounding me.”
Despite all the harsh conditions, Abla held on to hope and recalled her memories with her husband and children to persevere.
“While I was in solitary confinement, I would close my eyes and remember the laughter of my grandchildren and the voice of my husband Ahmed. Those small moments gave me the strength to endure this injustice.”
Abla talks about the treatment that female prisoners face in Israeli prisons, saying: “The occupation uses every means to break the will of female prisoners. We were subjected to humiliating searches, medical neglect, and constant threats. But we always reminded ourselves that our freedom is not just a dream, but a goal that we deserve and will achieve.”
With her release, Abla has one wish: that her husband Ahmed Saadat’s name be included in the next stage of the exchange deal.
Appealing to the international community to support the cause of Palestinian prisoners, Abla concludes, “The freedom of prisoners is not only a Palestinian issue but a global humanitarian issue. It is time for the world to stand up to this occupation that violates the most basic human rights.”
Rasha Jalal is an author and journalist from Gaza who covers political events and humanitarian issues
