After more than two decades behind bars, Palestinian brothers Shadi and Saed Zaid were released from Israeli occupation prisons—only to be deported to Turkey, forever separated from their aging parents in the West Bank. Their so-called freedom remains incomplete, tainted by the pain of forced exile.

Hajj Abdul Samee Zaid and his wife endured years of separation, visiting their sons under harsh restrictions and enduring long periods with no news of their well-being. Their final year in prison was the hardest, marked by food shortages, medical neglect, and a total ban on visits.

Despite desperate hopes for their return home, the brothers’ release came with conditions. As part of the prisoner exchange deal, they were immediately deported to Turkey, unable to reunite with their family. Though relieved that their sons are safe, Hajj Abdul Samee remains heartbroken. “How can I be sad when they are free?” he says. “But how can I be happy when I may never see them again?”

Now exiled, Shadi and Saed are rebuilding their lives far from home. Their story echoes the suffering of thousands of Palestinian prisoners still languishing in Israeli prisons. While the Zaid family clings to virtual reunions, their greatest hope remains unfulfilled: a true, unconditional return to their homeland.