Finally free, Ubai was among the many final Palestinian detainees Israel launched | Israel-Palestine battle News | USAEMALL.com

On his first morning of freedom after being launched from Israeli jail, Ubai Youssef Abu Maria wandered round his house, checking in on his mother and father, as if to ensure everybody was there.

They had all gotten house at daybreak that day, Friday, and whereas his physique was drained, he was so comfortable to be house that he solely managed two hours of sleep earlier than he went to his mother and father’ room and woke them up.

Only half-joking, he requested his mom Fidaa, 38, to make him a breakfast he had been dreaming of since October 7 – qalayet banadora, a spicy skillet of recent tomatoes simmered with scorching Palestinian chilli peppers. It was served with the requisite fruity olive oil, particular family-recipe zaatar and a cup of candy tea.

As he ate, Ubai advised his mom that he had eaten nothing that tasted something however terrible over the previous two months. He missed being house and being taken care of.

Then, he headed out to the barber’s to trim his “wild” hair that had not been tended to for 2 months, returning groomed and feeling a bit extra regular.

‘I saw the happiness in my father’s eyes’

Ubai Youssef Abu Maria is eighteen, lives north of Hebron and has already been arrested six instances by Israeli forces. Sometimes he was held for days, generally for hours. The first time, he was 14 years outdated and was held for 15 days.

A 12 months later, when he was solely 15, he was arrested once more and held for 9 months. The final time he was taken was on October 8 and advised he can be in administrative detention, a near-informal standing that ostensibly lasts six months however is usually renewed again and again with the detained particular person by no means being charged or tried.

Each time, his mother and father watched and waited, worrying about their son.

Then a “humanitarian pause” was declared between Israel and Hamas this month, with an trade of captives for prisoners as a part of the deal – hope reared its head and Ubai’s mother and father Fidaa and Youssef began to prepare, in case Ubai was launched.

He finally was, within the seventh and final batch of Palestinian prisoners launched from Israeli detention on Thursday.

“I saw the happiness in my father’s eyes,” Ubai mentioned. “For us, we’re mates greater than father and son, and I look as much as him as a job mannequin.

“He was worried for me in detention, especially because of my injured arm.”

Ubai had been shot within the elbow by Israeli forces final November, shedding 70 p.c use of his arm consequently. He had been present process post-surgical remedy, however his arrest only one month after the platinum pins have been faraway from his elbow lower that quick.

“I told the Israelis over and over that my arm was injured. They didn’t care, in fact, it seemed to amuse them to shackle my hands anyway,” Ubai mentioned.

“Even the jail physician laughed at me once I requested for medication. Made me suppose that this man is a jailer in a health care provider’s coat. They solely gave me Acamol [paracetamol] as soon as. That was it.

“I’m happy that I can continue my treatment now. I’m home, and I can see my family and be with them. There are no words to describe this joy.”

First phrases, first embraces

When Ubai walked into the home at daybreak on Friday, Fidaa was greatly surprised at first.

“I stored him, discovered myself backing away and considering in disbelief: ‘That’s not my boy.’ He appeared so completely different, not the wholesome boy he was, he had misplaced a lot weight, appeared so exhausted, pores and skin and bones with huge messy hair on high.

“I cried, with joy I guess, I don’t know. My first words to him were ‘How’s your arm? Move it, show me how it is.’”

Ubai’s first phrases to his mom have been sweeter, as he hugged her, advised her he missed her and referred to as her “My Life”, an Arabic time period of endearment he makes use of for her.

Shortly after that, he needed to present her that his arm was nonetheless cell, after all. As for his father, he had greeted him with “My Crown”, which is a cross between a time period of endearment and “boss”.

After a breakfast match for a king and a visit to the barber, Ubai’s home stuffed up with household and mates coming to see him and welcome him house. So many who he wasn’t in a position to get his favorite meal at lunchtime, stuffed zucchini in a yoghurt sauce, and needed to be happy with a promise that he’d be capable to have it on Saturday.

Reunions with family members have been greater than sufficient to make up for any culinary disappointments although, and Ubai spoke to Al Jazeera fondly about seeing his childhood good friend, Mahdi Hammad, when he received off the jail transport automobile that introduced him from Ofer Prison to Ramallah. “He took me to my father and household, they’d already been ready for me for 10 hours by the point I received there at 2am.

“I can’t describe seeing them again, it’s a mix of joy and sadness. Happy with the warm embraces I came back to and in tears over what is happening to Gaza, the brutal tax which resulted in the release of Palestinian prisoners. I couldn’t believe it, that I would be part of the deal.”

Humiliation and ache in jail

After the Aqsa Storm operation, the remedy of Palestinian prisoners grew to become worse than ever, Ubai mentioned. All tv entry was lower off, after which all home equipment, blankets and spare clothes have been faraway from cells.

“The prison guards punished us a lot, like they were taking their October 7 humiliation out on us,” he advised Al Jazeera, including that guards would burst into cells a number of instances a day, beating, looking and attempting to humiliate prisoners.

“We weren’t allowed to raise our heads or look them in the eye, if someone did that they would be beaten badly and put in solitary where they would be assaulted again, out of sight.”

The day Ubai was launched, he was shackled at 7am and led from his cell within the Nafha Prison to the jail “bosta” transport automobile, which was utterly darkish inside and divided into a number of tight cells with metallic seats in them however he was not in a position to sit down on that trip to Ofer Prison close to Ramallah.

Once there, as different prisoners have detailed, Ubai was held in a cell, freezing chilly this time given the time of the 12 months.

“I didn’t have sufficient garments to maintain heat, they’d confiscated all my belongings, and stayed like that for about six hours. I might really feel my limbs freeze, particularly my injured left arm, and the entire time I had no thought what this was all for, no one had advised me what was occurring.

“Then a Shin Bet officer burst into the cell and told me I’d leave prison, but he was shouting and threatening me too, saying that I couldn’t celebrate, carry resistance flags, receive well-wishers, or have any political activity. ‘You’ll be arrested again,’ he said.”

Fidaa was sitting close to Ubai, a beaming smile on her face. But it coated a deeper unhappiness, she mentioned. “As a Palestinian mom, we are able to’t maintain our children inside on a regular basis to guard them from what the occupation could do to them. They’re consistently at risk of being harassed, detained, damage or, even worse, killed by the occupation’s blind bullets

“And look at him! He’s back but he suffered so much in prison. The stories of what happened to him and other prisoners in there are awful, and the stories of what is happening to the people of Gaza are heartbreaking.”

For now, Ubai can flip again to his pastime that he hopes to show right into a profession: automotive electrics. So he plans to finish the remedy his arm wants, then begin engaged on turning into an auto electrician. But first, spending extra time along with his household.

“Ubai is my friend, companion and support… When I saw him, it was like he had been reborn,” Youssef mentioned tearfully, hugging Ubai shut.