Hisham al-Sayed

Hisham al-Sayed was born in 1988 in Hura

Hisham al-Sayed was born on February 15, 1988, to a Bedouin family in the Negev. His parents are Manal and Sha'ban al-Sayed. He faced mental health difficulties from a young age and was diagnosed with schizophrenia in 2013.

In 2005 he was sent to study in Cyprus, and in 2010 he studied in London. That same year he was diagnosed with acute psychotic disorder.

He volunteered for military service in August 2008 but was discharged in November of that year as unfit to serve. He later entered the West Bank at least 15 times and was held by Palestinian security forces at least 3 times.

In April 2015 he crossed the border fence into the Gaza Strip and was captured by Hamas. Hamas described him as a soldier, while Human Rights Watch confirmed he was a civilian. In 2022 Hamas released a video of him in a hospital bed.

He was released on February 22, 2025, with 5 other hostages, as part of a ceasefire deal during the Gaza war. On his return he was admitted to a closed ward of a psychiatric hospital.