NABLUS, (PIC)
In an unforgettable moment, Hanan Ma’lawani (23 years old) from Nablus opened her front door at 4:30 AM on Monday (20/1/2025) and said, “It’s the feeling of freedom; no one will close this door behind me again.” She asked her family to keep the door open, as if she wanted to immortalize her moment of liberation from the shackles of Israeli occupation.
Hanan was one of 69 female prisoners and 21 children released by the Israeli occupation authorities, most of whom were from the West Bank and Jerusalem, after months of detention and suffering.
The journey of waiting and relief
Hanan’s family set out from their home on Fataher Street in Nablus on Sunday afternoon, heading to the town of Beitunya west of Ramallah, where hundreds of families gathered in anticipation of the release of their loved ones from Ofer prison.
Her father, Ammar Ma’lawani, described those hours, saying, “Our feelings were a mix of fear and hope. The waiting was long and painful, but the moment we saw Hanan and embraced her erased all that pain. The reunion felt like a dream.”
Harsh conditions of detention
The occupation authorities arrested Hanan on September 2 last year, from her home, and she spent four and a half months in Israeli prisons, where she faced extremely difficult detention conditions, including severe shortages of basic necessities like adequate food and blankets, ongoing torture and humiliation from prison management, and painful restraints on her hands and feet until the day of her release.
Hanan recalls those days as the hardest of her life, “The psychological and physical pain was my companion every day in detention, but I learned patience and resilience.”
She was imprisoned for posting statements on the X platform in support of Gaza against the Israeli brutal aggression.
The moment of freedom
Hanan describes the moment she learned of her release decision: “At 10 AM, one of the detainees informed us that most of us would be released. It was indescribable joy, but we feared the news might be wrong. The moment we boarded the bus and sang ‘Mawtini’ (Palestinian national anthem) together was the greatest. I felt true freedom.”
The impact of detention experience
Hanan emphasizes that the detention experience completely changed her life and personality, “Hanan who entered the prison is not the same as the one who came out. I have become tougher and stronger; I learned to endure pain and face despair with determination.”
Tragic figures
Since October 7, 2023, the occupation has arrested more than 25,000 Palestinians, including 14,300 from the West Bank and Jerusalem, reflecting the daily suffering of the Palestinian people under occupation.
A message of hope
Despite everything she has endured, Hanan concluded her words with determination, saying, “Freedom is our greatest dream, and we will not stop fighting for it. Our sacrifices will not be in vain, and we will continue to dream of a dignified life in a free homeland.”
Release of the first batch from Ofer prison
Early Monday, the Israeli occupation authorities released 90 prisoners, including women and children, from Ofer prison west of Ramallah in the West Bank as part of a ceasefire agreement.
According to the Prisoners’ Media Office and the Commission of Detainees and Ex-Detainees Affairs, the first batch included 90 detainees, among them 69 women and 21 children, with 76 from the West Bank and 14 from Jerusalem.
The suffering of Palestinian prisoners in the occupation’s jails remains a humanitarian and political issue that requires continuous attention and accountability for the systematic violations by the occupation.