Controversial Figure Zakaria Zubeidi Released Amidst Israeli Incursion in West Bank

A Controversial Figure Returns Home

As dusk settled over the West Bank city of Ramallah, a line of white buses carrying 110 Palestinian prisoners, including the notorious Zakaria Zubeidi, approached. Zubeidi, a former leader of a Palestinian militant group, stood at the window, his shaved head and grey Israeli prison tracksuit visible. He raised two fingers in a peace sign, acknowledging the jubilant crowds awaiting their loved ones.

The release of these prisoners, in exchange for three Israelis and five Thai nationals held by Palestinian militants in Gaza, had been delayed by Israeli officials. The chaotic scenes in Gaza during the Israelis' transfer to the Red Cross custody had caused dismay.

Outside Ofer prison near Ramallah, twelve people were treated for gunshot wounds and teargas inhalation as they anxiously awaited the release. Raghed Nasser, 21, expressed her exhaustion and frustration at the delays, waiting for her father, Hussein, who had been imprisoned for 22 years.

Among those released were some of the oldest prisoners serving life sentences for violent crimes. Mohammed Falna from Ramallah, detained for 33 years, and Mohammad Abu Warda from Hebron, jailed for 23 years for his role in the 1996 Jerusalem bus bombings that killed 45 people, were among them. The youngest released was 15-year-old Muhammad Lutfi Ali from the Shuafat refugee camp in East Jerusalem.

Zubeidi's uncle, Jamal, described the mixed emotions of joy and sadness upon hearing the news. His nephew's return was bittersweet, overshadowed by the loss of Zubeidi's 21-year-old son, Mohammed, who was killed in an Israeli drone strike last September. Zubeidi's brother Daoud had also died from wounds sustained in a shootout with Israeli forces three years ago. All three of Zubeidi's brothers were killed by Israeli forces during his imprisonment.

To Israelis, Zubeidi is a notorious criminal responsible for attacks on civilians, including a 2002 attack on a polling station that killed six people. However, to Palestinians, he is a folk hero. In 2021, he participated in a daring prison break from a maximum-security facility, only to be recaptured a week later.

The Zubeidi family had hoped to welcome him back to Jenin, where he had served as the director of the Freedom Theatre. However, the ongoing Israeli incursion in Jenin, following the Gaza ceasefire, has made the situation difficult. The family may have to postpone their celebration and wait for things to calm down before Zubeidi can return to his hometown.

The future of the Freedom Theatre remains uncertain after an Israeli raid and the detention of its directors in December 2023. The theatre's activities may resume if the situation stabilizes, but for now, its fate hangs in the balance.