The case went to court, where earlier this month the defendant was found guilty of unlicensed use of radio equipment, illegal possession of radio apparatus, and causing deliberate interference to wireless telegraphy – all of which are offences under the Wireless Telegraphy Act.

Another family – revered by many Palestinians but deemed a threat by the state of Israel – also awaits the return of its loved ones. While Ofcom assesses all reports of spectrum non-compliance, not all of these result in an investigation. This case was an extreme incident which required our involvement. The families have no way of knowing if the prisoners get to hear their messages, but that doesn’t stop them from sending them.

Speaking to CNN at her home in Ramallah, Iman Barghouti prays for the release of her husband Nael, and sister-in-law Hannan. Now a grandmother, Hannan is on the Israeli list of those eligible to come home under the hostage deal. Her sons remain in prison. The defendant failed to cooperate with our investigation, and didn’t offer an account of what had happened in this case, despite being given the opportunity to do so. The family of a young Palestinian prisoner watches TV news updates on the Israel-Hamas hostage deal, near Hebron, on November 21, 2023. Mussa Qawasma/Reuters

More than 3,000 of them are being held in what Israel calls “administrative detention,” Fares told CNN, adding that this means they are being held without knowing the charges against them, and without an ongoing legal process. Four hostages have been freed so far – two American women and two Israeli women. An Israeli soldier who was abducted by Hamas was rescued by Israeli forces, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said. In February 2021 we received complaints from radio amateurs in the area, who told us they had been subjected to deliberate interference of their transmissions, as well as receiving abusive messages. The culprit had been using radio bands illegally to do this, as he didn’t have a licence to do so.The investigation involved using automatic monitoring equipment as well as our engineers working on the ground,monitoring live transmissions. This provided a picture of the of the impact of the illegal transmissions on the local radio community. All of this work took place in close collaboration with local police. Around 8,300 Palestinian prisoners are currently held in Israeli jails, said Qadura Fares, head of the Palestinian Commission for Detainees and Ex-Prisoners’ Affairs. Chiara’s passion for radio started through opportunities created in the classroom, and her future ambition is to return to the classroom to study psychology. She wants to harness the experiences she has encountered, and use her broadcasting platform and personality status, to champion mental wellbeing and the ongoing fight against the stigma of mental health. Amateur radio is used by hobbyists who use equipment on specific, allocated frequencies to communicate with each other - sometimes around the world.Radio amateurs in the UK require a licence, issued by Ofcom, to transmit and receive on their allocated frequencies.On the whole, radio amateurs abide by the terms and conditions of their licences. Families and friends of hostages held in Gaza call for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to bring them home, during a demonstration in Tel Aviv on November 21, 2023. Ahmad Gharabli/AFP/Getty Images

We were required to intervene in this case because the illegal activity was significant and targeted, and it was suspected that the culprit was somebody who had previously been convicted of similar activity. They (Hannan’s grandchildren) are waiting to see their grandmother,” Iman told CNN. “She has a beautiful relationship with them, she loves everybody.” While a life in the Middle East was something she had never previously thought of, Chiara has embraced her career in a different country. This particular case is an example of this deliberate interference, and took place across several amateur radio bands. We have three phone lines here to receive messages from the families of prisoners,” Al Saba, the presenter, told CNN, adding that due to the volume of calls, some people had failed to get through.Murad Abu Al Saba, presenter at Radio Ajyal, sits at the radio station in Ramallah, West Bank, on November 22, 2023. Alex Platt/CNN

How are you, Auntie Hannadi? I love you,” a young girl is heard saying on a voice note played on the radio’s airwaves from Al Saba’s phone. “When are you going to be released from jail?” the girl asks. Correction: This story has been updated to clarify the dates when Hannan Barghouti and one of her sons were arrested

During her studies, she was encouraged by her lecturer to undertake work experience at the BBC, based in the Mailbox, Birmingham, an opportunity that equipped her with the skills she needed to pursue a career in the creative industries. Amid Iman’s optimism at Hannan’s potential release, she is beginning to hope that her husband, Nael el Barghouti – the longest-serving Palestinian political prisoner – could also be freed in a swap, although he is not among the 300 prisoners listed by Israel.