Zakaria Zubeidi, a militant who briefly escaped from an Israeli prison two years ago, has been released along with five other Palestinian prisoners as part of a hostage-for-prisoner swap between Israel and Hamas.
The 49-year-old was once a prominent leader in the Al-Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigades during the Second Intifada, which took place in the early 2000s. He later turned to theater, directing the Freedom Theater in Jenin, but was re-arrested in 2019 on charges of returning to militancy.
In 2021, Zubeidi and five other Palestinian prisoners successfully broke out of a maximum-security prison using an underground tunnel. The escape caused widespread shock among Israelis but was seen as a temporary victory by Palestinians against Israel’s mass incarceration of Palestinians.
As part of the prisoner swap deal, several convicted militants are being released, including Sami Jaradat, who was serving multiple life sentences for involvement in a deadly 2003 suicide bombing in Haifa. The deal also includes expulsion to either the Gaza Strip or another country for some of the detainees.
Zubeidi’s wife, Alaa, and family members were present in Ramallah to wait for his release from prison. Her husband had previously expressed regret over his past actions, stating that he missed the intifada and revolution more than weapons. The prisoner swap is seen as a significant development in the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas.
Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/01/30/world/middleeast/zakaria-zubeidi-release-israel-hamas.html