Two Palestinian Brothers Freed After 33 Years in Israeli Prisons
Gaza | October 15, 2025 | Deccan Live News Desk
Two Palestinian brothers, Mohammed Shamasneh and Abdul Jawad Shamasneh, have been released from Israeli prisons after spending more than three decades behind bars. Their release came as part of a recent prisoner exchange agreement between Palestinian resistance groups and Israel.
According to the Palestinian Prisoners’ Club, the Shamasneh brothers were arrested in November 1993 and spent nearly 32 consecutive years in detention. Both were among those imprisoned even before the Oslo Accords were signed.
Mohammed Shamasneh had been sentenced to three life terms plus 20 additional years, later increased by another 10 years. His brother Abdul Jawad received four life sentences and an additional 20 years.
Despite the harsh conditions, Mohammed continued his education while in prison, completing his high school and bachelor’s degree. He is married and a father of three daughters—the youngest of whom was just two months old at the time of his arrest. Abdul Jawad is also married and has seven children. His youngest son, Yusuf, was born after his father’s arrest and had never seen him outside prison walls until now.
The release of the Shamasneh brothers is part of a larger agreement under which 1,968 Palestinian prisoners were freed on Monday. Among them were 250 detainees serving life sentences, along with many others facing lengthy prison terms.
Most of those released—around 1,718 prisoners—are from Gaza, many of whom were arrested during Israel’s military operations in the besieged strip.
This marks the third prisoner exchange deal since the war that began in November 2023. In earlier phases, nearly 240 Palestinian men and women were released.
The latest exchange was brokered during indirect talks held in Sharm el-Sheikh and is considered part of international efforts, including U.S. mediation, to push for a ceasefire and bring an end to the conflict in Gaza.
