Mohammad Ismael Al-Hourob, 41, sits in the backyard of his home in Deir Samet village, south of Hebron. In his arms, he holds his two-year-old son, Ismael. Mohammad was sentenced to life in prison plus 20 years after being arrested on June 22, 2010. How could a child be born from the darkness of a prison cell, and how could hope survive in such despair?
Mohammad remembers the impossible challenges and moments of lost hope. That’s when he turned to the "smuggled sperm" technique.After five attempts full of disappointment and fragile hope, he finally became a father to Ismael.
Life inside the prison was daily suffering, and after October 7, 2023, conditions became even harsher. Mohammad feared he might never see Ismael, not even during an exceptional visit.
Then, on January 25, 2025, Mohammad was released as part of a prisoner exchange deal. He stepped out of prison into the embrace of his family, spending every moment with them, especially his son Ismael. At first, Ismael called him “Uncle,” but two days later, Mohammad heard the word he had longed for: “Baba”
Ismael is the 118th child born through the smuggled sperm technique. For Mohammad, he symbolizes the victory of life over imprisonment. Mohammad never imagined he would one day hold Ismael in his arms and hear him say “Baba”—a word that meant everything to him.
