Decades in hell: Freed Palestinian reveals reality of Israel's prisons

After enduring nearly 25 years of unjust imprisonment in Israel’s notorious jails, Palestinian prisoner Ashraf Nofal has finally been freed and embraced his son for the first time since his arrest.

Nofal, from the town of Deir Sharaf in western Nablus in the occupied West Bank, was released as part of the third round of a long-awaited prisoner exchange agreement between Israel and Hamas.

He had left his son as a small child when he was detained, and now as he reunited with him, he found a young man standing before him.

In a heart-wrenching embrace, Nofal said: "This feeling cannot be described … There are no words to explain it … Praise be to Allah.”

Life of suffering behind bars

Nofal’s life in prison was nothing short of a nightmare. Sentenced to 40 years by Israel, he spent more than 24 trapped in conditions that could break anyone’s spirit, and yet he held on to the dream of freedom.

“The life inside Israeli prisons is a station of struggle,” he said. “It’s a different kind of life, one full of suffering and pain, where you see no justice and are stripped of your rights.”

Nofal shared how the situation worsened in the aftermath of the Israeli genocidal war against Gaza and continued to ravage the lives of innocent Palestinians.

"The prisons have become even more brutal since then,” said Nofal.

Harsh reality of Israeli prisons

The pain of imprisonment is not only physical but emotional, as Nofal described the indescribable cruelty of Israel’s treatment of Palestinian prisoners.

“There is no room for discussion about the torment we face inside those walls,” he said. “It is impossible to put into words the suffering, isolation, and injustice that prisoners endure.”

More than 10,000 Palestinians are currently languishing in Israeli prisons, including over 600 who are serving life sentences.

Exchange and a glimmer of hope

Israel on Thursday released Nofal along with 110 Palestinian prisoners as part of the historic deal.

In exchange, Hamas and Islamic Jihad released three Israeli captives and five Thai nationals from Gaza.

Among the freed Palestinian prisoners, 32 were serving life sentences, 48 were incarcerated on various charges and 30 were minors.

On Jan. 19, a ceasefire agreement and prisoner exchange between Hamas and Israel went into effect, initially lasting 42 days, during which negotiations will continue for subsequent phases of the deal. The agreement is mediated by Egypt and Qatar, with support from the US.

Israel’s genocidal war has killed more than 47,400 Palestinians, most of them women and children, and wounded more than 111,000 since Oct. 7, 2023.

The Israeli onslaught on Gaza has left more than 11,000 people missing, with widespread destruction and triggered a humanitarian crisis that has claimed the lives of many elderly people and children in one of the worst global humanitarian disasters.

The International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants in November for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.