Freed after 21 years, Palestinian novelist reunites with sister in Egypt per Gaza ceasefire

A Palestinian novelist has been released after spending 21 years in an Israeli prison. Basim Khandaqji, freed under the Gaza ceasefire deal, was exiled to Egypt where he reunited with his sister. Khandaqji, who wrote an award-winning novel behind bars, reflected on his imprisonment, saying reading the Quran kept him grounded. Expressing love for Gaza, he cited poet Mahmoud Darwish, calling it a land “surrounded by hope and encircled by enemies.” Unable to see his mother for two decades, he longed to embrace her and walk freely by the Nile, cherishing his first taste of freedom. Subscribe to our channel: http://bit.ly/AJSubscribe Follow us on X: https://twitter.com/AJEnglish Find us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aljazeera Check our website: http://www.aljazeera.com/ Check out our Instagram page: https://www.instagram.com/aljazeeraenglish/ Download AJE Mobile App: https://aje.io/AJEMobile #Israel #PalestinianPrisonersInIsrael #IsraeliPrisons #ExiledPalestinians #PalestinianHumanRights #IsraeliMilitaryPolice #IsraelHumanRightsViolations #GazaCeasefire #AlJazeeraEnglish