Eid brings special joy to families of Palestinian detainees

HEBRON, Palestine (AA) – Unlike the past six years, Eid al-Adha this year brought a special sense of joy to the family of Osaid Abu Khdair.

Abu Khdair, 34, from the town of Surif near Hebron in the occupied West Bank, was released by Israel earlier this month, days before the start of Eid Al-Adha, which marks the culmination of the annual Hajj pilgrimage.

“This is the first time that I can feel the joy of Eid with my daughter,” he told Anadolu Agency. “I went with her to the market to buy new clothes for Eid. I have never bought anything for her on Eid before,” the Palestinian father said.

Palestinian NGOs estimate that around 4,600 Palestinian detainees are held in Israeli jails.

Special Eid

A smile is now drawn on the face of his wife, Doha Hoor, after the release of her husband from Israeli detention.

She said her family has lost their stability when her husband was detained by Israeli forces. She said it was not easy for her to live alone with her daughter due to work obligations and child care.

The Palestinian wife recalls that she and her daughter had spent 13 Eids alone since her husband was arrested.

Joyful

Mahmoud Ayyad, an activist and poet, is celebrating his first Eid with his 3-year-old daughter in more than ten years.

“The family spent 19 Eids alone during my detention,” Ayyad, 34, from the Dheisha refugee camp, told Anadolu Agency.

Ayyad was repeatedly arrested by Israeli forces over the past years. His daughter was five months old when her father was last arrested by Israeli forces in 2020. He was also detained by Palestinian security forces due to his political views.

Two years ago, Ayyad was subjected to harsh interrogation during Eid instead of spending the festival with his family.

“I asked the officer to call my family to greet them on the occasion, but he refused,” he recalled.

Israeli prison authorities don’t allow Palestinian detainees to call their families on Eid.