Palestinian journalist Khader Abdel Aal has reunited with his family after enduring months of brutal imprisonment in Israel’s Sde Teiman detention facility, often likened to Guantanamo Bay. Released as part of a ceasefire agreement mediated by Egypt and Qatar, Abdel Aal’s harrowing experience sheds light on the systematic abuse faced by Palestinian detainees.  

Arrested during Israel’s military offensive on Gaza, Abdel Aal was seized in a raid on Al-Shifa Medical Complex on March 18, 2024. “They stormed the hospital at night, firing indiscriminately,” he recalls. “I told them I was a journalist, but they didn’t care. They arrested me without charges or explanation.”  

For 91 days, Abdel Aal was held in Sde Teiman, where he faced severe physical and psychological torture. “We were handcuffed and blindfolded for hours daily,” he says. “Any resistance was met with beatings. I fainted multiple times from the pain, but there was no medical care.” He witnessed the death of a fellow detainee due to torture, an image that continues to haunt him.  

Now free, Abdel Aal’s relief is overshadowed by the knowledge that his brother, Ahmed, remains imprisoned. “It’s unbearable to think of what he’s enduring,” he says. Despite the trauma, Abdel Aal remains committed to exposing the truth. “Israel wants to silence us, but we will never stop fighting for justice.” His story is a testament to resilience in the face of unimaginable oppression.