Palestinian prisoner's wife gives birth to twins in Qalqilya

Sanabel al-Ra’i, the wife of Palestinian prisoner Basel al-Asmar, has given birth to twins in Qalqilya, West Bank. Al-Asmar is serving a sentence for his involvement in the 2001 assassination of Israeli Tourism Minister Rehavam Ze’evi.

The family claims the pregnancy was achieved through a fertility treatment using semen that was clandestinely removed from the prison and subsequently frozen. According to family members, the process lasted over two years and involved several attempts before the successful conception of the boy and girl.

Al-Ra’i and al-Asmar reportedly met while she was visiting her brother in prison. While the family has celebrated the birth as a victory over incarceration, the Israel Prison Service stated there is no solid scientific evidence to confirm the paternity of the children.