The plight of families separated by political conflict is heart-wrenching, especially when it comes to parents longing to reunite with their children. For many Palestinian families, the unfulfilled dreams of meeting loved ones remain an ever-present source of pain, particularly in the wake of deportations and imprisonment.
Fatherhood from Afar
Five-year-old Akram and his two-year-old sister Julia eagerly leap at the phone whenever it rings, yearning to hear their father’s voice. Amjad al-Najjar, their father, was deported to Egypt after spending a decade in an Israeli prison. The children, who have never physically met Amjad, share a bond with him built on hope and dreams of eventually leaving Ramallah to be together.
Amjad, 48, was a father of two before he was detained in 2015. His release as a result of a prisoner exchange in January 2025 was meant to mark a new beginning for his family. However, Israeli travel restrictions have left him in exile, longing to reunite with his children while they remain trapped in the West Bank. “The joy wasn’t complete,” Amjad reflected, expressing the profound emptiness of not being able to share moments with his children.
The situation underscores the cruel absence of fatherhood. While Amjad was imprisoned, both Akram and Julia were conceived through sperm that was secretly smuggled from behind bars. “I followed the news of their births from a distance,” he lamented, wishing he could have experienced those life-changing moments in person. His desires to embrace and nurture his children remain thwarted by a complex political reality that goes beyond mere legalities.
Struggles of a Daughter
Ten-year-old Bushra faces a similar heartache. She has never met her father, Ahmed Hamed, who was deported to Egypt after serving 22 years in an Israeli prison. Despite the longing for connection, the family has faced frequent obstacles in seeking reunification. Bushra’s mother, Inas, has been repeatedly denied permission to visit her husband, citing security concerns from Israeli authorities.
In a brave move, Bushra managed to travel to Egypt with her aunt, marking her first meeting with her father. Yet, their return to the West Bank was met with detention and interrogation by Israeli intelligence. Inas poignantly remarked about the bittersweet nature of their situation, expressing that the family feels robbed of joy. “It’s only half a release,” she said, echoing the sentiment of many families affected by these injustices.
Moreover, families like Bushra’s continue to grapple with heart-wrenching realities. Inas shared that her son Baraa was just a few months old when his father was arrested. Now, as he prepares for marriage at the age of 22, his father remains absent, a painful reminder of the years lost to separation. Baraa’s attempts to reach his father have been thwarted time and again, with Israeli authorities turning him back at crossings without explanation.
The Forbidden Final Goodbye
Tragically, the separation extends even beyond life into death. In April of this year, the family of Riyad al-Amour, who spent 23 years imprisoned before his deportation to Egypt, was denied the right to bury him back home in the West Bank. Even amidst the pain of loss, his loved ones were barred from being close, illustrating the harsh realities faced by countless Palestinian families.
Riyad’s brother Majed described the sorrow of seeing their family fractured, lamenting that he could only visit Riyad in a hospital hundreds of kilometers away. The inability to offer a final farewell encapsulates the ongoing struggle for familial connection amid forced exile and legal restrictions.
As of 2025, 383 Palestinian prisoners were reportedly deported from the West Bank, leaving numerous families to suffer in silence. Though precise statistics on separations are hard to come by, it’s believed that a significant number of families are affected by what many call an ongoing punitive policy.
Shawan Jabarin, an advocate for human rights, emphasizes that these separation tactics amount to collective punishment, stripping families of their fundamental right to be together. The longing for unity, love, and closure remains a powerful force that continues to fuel the struggles of families deprived of their loved ones, both living and deceased.