Stepping off a bus with two dozen other released Palestinian prisoners on Saturday after 23 years imprisonment in Israel, Ata Abdelghani had more than his freedom to look forward to.

The 55-year-old was also able to hug his twin sons, Zain and Zaid, for the first time.

The encounter was made possible by his release in an ongoing hostage-prisoner exchange as part of a January ceasefire deal for the Gaza Strip agreed by Israel and Hamas.

The twins, now 10 years old, were conceived while Abdelghani was incarcerated after his sperm was smuggled out of his prison.

He had been serving a life sentence on a number of counts including murder and membership of an illegal organisation, according to a list released by the Israel ministry of justice.

"These children are the ambassadors of freedom,........

© Al Monitor