Israel restricts travel for exiled Palestinian detainees, blocking family reunions

What happened

Al Jazeera Gaza reports that Palestinian detainees recently released from Israeli prisons remain unable to reunite with their families due to Israeli travel restrictions. Among those affected are 48-year-old Amjad al-Najjar and other Palestinians deported to Egypt upon release, who remain separated from their children and relatives in the West Bank.

Outside Brief is treating this as a source-led account. Any disputed responsibility, casualty figure, battlefield claim or single-source assertion should be treated as unconfirmed/hearsay unless confirmed by another reliable source or a named official. Amjad, detained for 10 years and released in January 2025 as part of a prisoner exchange, has never met his two young children, who were conceived via smuggled sperm while he was imprisoned. Despite his release, Israeli-imposed travel bans prevent any meeting, leaving his family divided between Egypt and Ramallah. He told Al Jazeera his freedom feels incomplete because the anticipated family reunion never happened.

Similar cases include Ahmed Hamed, deported after 22 years in prison, whose daughter Bushra traveled once to Egypt to meet him but faced detention and interrogation afterwards. Another case involves Riyad al-Amour, transferred to Egypt after 23 years in jail, whose family was denied permission to receive his body or attend his burial in the West Bank after his death in April 2026.

Known from the source

• Several Palestinian detainees were deported to Egypt by Israel upon release from prison, including Amjad al-Najjar, Ahmed Hamed, and Riyad al-Amour.
• Travel restrictions imposed by Israel currently prevent these exiled detainees from reuniting with their families who remain in the West Bank.
• Some Palestinian children, conceived through smuggled sperm from prison, have not met their fathers due to these restrictions.
• At least one detainee’s family was denied permission to travel to meet the detainee, with allegations of Israeli security as reason.
• After Riyad al-Amour’s death in Egypt in April 2026, his family was denied the ability to receive his body or bury him in the West Bank.

What remains unclear

These reports illustrate how Israeli security policies impact Palestinian families' rights to reunification and even post-mortem closeness, a situation described by family members as deeply painful and unjust. The report underscores that these travel restrictions persist amid ongoing disputes and military tensions in the region.

What remains unclear: Confirm whether the central claim is corroborated; until then treat it as unconfirmed/hearsay. Official confirmation of deportation orders and travel restrictions from Israeli authorities. Verification of the prisoner exchange details that included these detainees. Independent confirmation of the cases of family travel denial and detention after traveling.

Evidence note

Outside Brief has kept this brief source-led and attributed. Claims should be read alongside the original source linked below.

Original source: Al Jazeera Gaza. Open the source.