#basma adham albayed

[fiercynn]

"When I found out that I would be exiled to Gaza, I had the most heartbreaking day of my life," Nasser Elshqirat said. Elshqirat explained that he had been kidnapped by Israeli forces twice. The first time was in 1990, and he was released from prison in 1992. In 1993, he was arrested again by Israeli occupation forces and sentenced to 82 years in prison for his involvement in resistance activities. Elshqirat was watching a terrestrial broadcast on the Al-Aqsa TV channel with other prisoners when he heard his name listed among the prisoners who would be released in the 2011 Wafa al-Ahrar prisoner exchange deal. He was shocked to find out that he was included among those exiled to Gaza. "It was the hardest feeling I have ever experienced in my life. I wept and thought deeply about staying inside the prison because I wanted to return to the arms of my family and my hometown of Jabal Al-Mukaber in Jerusalem. In addition to that, my cousin's son was with me in the same room, and his name was not on the list of prisoners released," Elshqirat said, choking back tears. He added, "All the prisoners know that the Israeli occupation exiled us to Gaza because they want to prevent us from continuing the path of freedom fighting. They transferred us to a bigger prison." [x]

- basma adham albayed for scalawag magazine on june 27, 2023