Sun Oct 26 11:00:29 UTC 2025: Summary:

Basim Khandakji, a Palestinian author recently released from Israeli prison after serving 21 years, details the horrific conditions he and other Palestinians endured, including starvation, abuse, and medical neglect. He recounts his journey to becoming a writer while incarcerated, using his words to escape the brutality around him. Despite winning the “Arabic Booker Prize” for his novel, Khandakji faced increased harassment and restrictions within the prison. Now free but exiled from his homeland, he awaits reunion with his family in Egypt, haunted by the suffering he witnessed and determined to continue writing and advocating for Palestinian rights.

News Article:

Palestinian Author Released from Israeli Prison Details Horrific Conditions, Retaliation for Literary Success

Cairo, Egypt – Basim Khandakji, a Palestinian author recently freed after 21 years in Israeli prisons, has revealed disturbing accounts of systematic abuse, starvation, and medical neglect endured by Palestinian detainees. Khandakji, who won the prestigious “Arabic Booker Prize” in 2024 for his novel “A Mask, The Colour of the Sky,” believes he was targeted by prison authorities for embarrassing the Israeli system by publishing a book from behind bars.

Speaking from Egypt, where he awaits reunion with his family due to an Israeli-imposed exile, Khandakji described Israeli prisons as “cemeteries of the living.” He detailed instances of deliberate starvation, psychological and physical torture, constant humiliation, and intentional medical neglect. Khandakji stated that conditions drastically worsened after October 7, 2023, with prisoners dying with shocking regularity and guards employing “new horrific methods,” particularly against detainees from Gaza.

He recounted witnessing and experiencing brutal treatment, including beatings targeting the head, neck, and spine, and inmates forced to endure extended periods of solitary confinement. Communication with the outside world was strictly prohibited, and Khandakji was even denied the opportunity to mourn his father’s death.

Khandakji was convicted in 2004 of involvement in a suicide bombing, a charge he claims was based on a forced confession to spare younger men life sentences. The United Nations estimates that at least 75 Palestinians have died in Israeli prisons since October 2023, and human rights organizations have documented widespread abuse.

Despite the harsh conditions, Khandakji found solace in writing, which he used as a refuge to escape the brutality of his surroundings. He repeatedly went on hunger strike to obtain writing materials and meticulously hid his manuscripts until they could be smuggled out. His award-winning novel, which explores Palestinian identity and the challenges of living under occupation, sparked outrage among Israeli ultranationalists, who demanded harsher treatment.

Now free, Khandakji aims to continue writing and advocate for Palestinian rights, including the release of remaining prisoners like Fatah politician Marwan Barghouthi. He also hopes for a reunion with his family, who are currently fighting to join him in Egypt.

“Palestinians, unlike others, do not live in their homeland – their homeland lives within them,” Khandakji said, expressing his deep longing for his home in Nablus.

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