Palestinian prisoner Basel al-Asmar was able to father twins after his sperm was smuggled out of Nafha Prison, according to his wife and Palestinian media reports.
Sanabel Al-Ra’i announced the birth of the twins, a boy and a girl, at a hospital in Kalkilya following an alleged smuggling operation celebrated across Hamas-affiliated media. The conception reportedly took multiple attempts over a two-year period, Asmar’s nephew told Palestinian media.
The Jerusalem Post is unable to confirm the paternity of the twins.
Asmar is serving a life sentence and additional years for his role in the murder of former tourism minister Rehavam Ze’evi at Jerusalem’s Hyatt on October 17, 2001, and for his membership in the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine.
Ra’i and Asmar met in prison when Ra’i was visiting her brother, Shaher Al-Ra’i, a PFLP member suspected of being responsible for the killing of two Israeli hikers, though he was never convicted, according to the Hamas-affiliated Shehab News Agency. The pair later married by proxy.
Over 100 children fathered by Palestinian prisoners via smuggling since 2012
Notably, only a year ago, the Palestinian Prisoners’ Media Office complained that Asmar was suffering from poor health, saying he was being denied medical treatment, and that his family was being prevented from visiting him out of fear of retributive attacks from authorities.
Asmar and Ra’i would not be the first to have conceived despite detention. According to Palestinian reports, over 100 children have been fathered by detained Palestinian prisoners through sperm smuggling operations since 2012.
Convicted terrorist Ahmed Shamali fathered quadruplets in 2023 after his sperm was smuggled out of Israeli detention. At the time, Israel Hayom reported that National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir was outraged by the news, though the conception occurred before he assumed his role.
Ben-Gvir has not responded for comment.
Commissioner Kobi Yaakobi set policy of no contact
The Israel Prison Service told the Post that there was no scientific evidence to confirm that Asmar fathered the twins and that sperm smuggling operations have not been possible since before October 7, 2023.
“In response to reports regarding the smuggling of sperm from the prison of the murderer of the late minister Rehavam Ze’evi and the birth of his children, and given that the report has no scientific verification, we emphasize that the smuggling referred to in the reports took place before October 7, 2023, prior to Israel Prison Service Commissioner Kobi Yaakobi taking office,” IPS said.
“Since October 7, 2023, and the commissioner’s assumption of office, the organization’s policy has changed completely, and there is no contact between prisoners and the outside world.”