Zakaria Zubeidi, a former leader of a Palestinian militant group, was released on Thursday as part of the Gaza ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas.
The 49-year-old was once a prominent commander of the al-Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigades. He had been jailed for leading attacks that killed several Israelis.
‘The black rat’
Zubeidi avoided Israeli security forces for years, gaining a reputation for escaping attacks. Israeli authorities reportedly called him “The Black Rat” for his ability to evade capture. In 2007, he accepted an amnesty deal with the Palestinian Authority (PA), which removed him from Israel’s wanted list in exchange for giving up his weapons.
In 2011, Israel revoked his amnesty for undisclosed reasons. Eight years later, he was arrested for his alleged involvement in multiple shooting attacks near the Israeli settlement of Beit El, near Ramallah.
Early life
Zubeidi was born in Jenin, in the occupied West Bank. His wife was affected by the Israeli-Palestinian conflict from a young age. He was first jailed at 14, spending a year in an Israeli prison in 1989. A year later, he was arrested again for throwing stones and Molotov cocktails at Israeli forces.
By the early 2000s, when the Second Intifada began, Zubeidi had become a top leader in Fatah’s armed wing. He led the al-Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigades in Jenin, organising attacks against Israelis. During this period, his mother was killed in an Israeli raid on Jenin’s refugee camp.
Prison escape
In 2021, Zubeidi and five other prisoners escaped from Israel’s high-security Gilboa Prison by digging a tunnel. Their breakout led to a large manhunt, and they were caught within days. The escape drew widespread attention among Palestinians.
Life besides militancy
Beyond militancy, Zubeidi was involved in theatre. As a child, he participated in Arna’s House, a community theatre in Jenin founded by Israeli activist Arna Mer-Khamis. The theatre was destroyed by Israeli forces in 2002 and was rebuilt as the Freedom Theatre, where Zubeidi was active after the 2007 amnesty.
Other high-profile prisoners to be released
Other high-profile prisoners are also set to be freed in the Israel-Hamas hostage deal. Mahmoud Atallah, serving a life sentence for killing a Palestinian woman accused of collaborating with Israel, will be released to Nablus. Ahmed Barghouti, a senior Fatah military figure convicted of attacks that killed 12 Israelis, will be deported via Egypt.
According to multiple media reports, 110 prisoners will be released. The Times of Israel states that 33 are serving life sentences for deadly attacks, 47 have long prison terms, and the remaining 30 are women and minors.
