Hisham al-Sayed

Hisham al-Sayed is a person who lived through a very long and difficult time. He is a Muslim Bedouin Arab Israeli. This means he comes from a special group of people who have lived in the desert for a very long time, and he is also a citizen of Israel.

He was born on February 15, 1988. That means he is older than many of your teachers! He was kept away from his home and family for nearly ten years.

Hisham was held by a group called Hamas. They kept him in the Gaza Strip, which is a place near Israel. Hamas said he was a soldier, but that's not true. Human Rights Watch, a group that helps people, checked and found out he is a civilian. This means he is not a soldier and was not supposed to be in the army. He even tried to join for a little bit but was not able to serve.

Hisham has something called schizophrenia. This is a condition that can make it hard for people to think clearly and understand what is real. Because of this, he was not able to serve in the army. It's like when some kids need extra help at school to learn. He needed special care and support. He was finally set free on February 22, 2025, as part of a big agreement to stop fighting.

After almost ten whole years, Hisham was finally able to go home. This was a very happy day for him and his family. Being held for so long is like being stuck in your room for years and years, never being able to play outside or see your friends. His release happened because people agreed to stop fighting for a while. It shows that sometimes, when people talk, good things can happen.