Days Of Palestine – Ramallah

The two longest-serving Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails, Karim Younis and Maher Younis, have been behind bars for 38 years, today said the Palestinian Prisoner Society (PPS).

The two, along with 24 other prisoners, were supposed to have been released in 2014 in a deal struck with Israel concluded by former US Secretary of State John Kerry. However, Israel has reneged on that deal and kept the prisoners, all from occupied Jerusalem or inside Israel, in prison.

Karim Younis was born on November 23, 1958, in the town of Ara inside Israel. He is the eldest son of his family. Younis was arrested on January 6, 1983 and was sentenced to life in prison and later set to a period of 40 years.

Maher Younis, Karim’s cousin, was born on January 6, 1958. He is also from the village of Ara and from a family of five sisters and one brother. He was arrested on January 18, 1983 and sentenced to life in prison, also later set to 40 years.

Other long serving Palestinian prisoners, according to the PPS, include Bashir al-Khatib, who has been in jail for 33. He was born on April 20, 1961. He is from the city of Ramle inside Israel and he is a father of five children.

Nasser Srour and Mahmoud Srour, from Bethlehem in the occupied West Bank, have been in jail for 28. Nasser was born on November 16, 1969 and he is from a family of five sisters and three brothers. He was arrested on January 4, 1993, while Mahmoud was born on January 27, 1970 and is from a family of two brothers and one sister. He was arrested on January 5, 1993.