ALWAGHT- In a significant victory for the Palestinian resistance, Intifada figure Zakaria Zubeidi, a former leader of the Al-Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigades, was freed on Thursday as part of the third round of the ‘Flood of the Free’ captives-abductees exchange deal between Hamas and Israel.
Zakaria Zubeidi, a prominent figure in the Palestinian resistance, was freed in a recent prisoner exchange, marking a significant moment in the ongoing struggle against Israeli occupation. Upon his release, the 49-year-old, appearing frail but defiant, was carried on the shoulders of jubilant supporters in Ramallah. His release was part of a ceasefire agreement between Hamas and Israel, which also led to the liberation of 109 other Palestinian detainees. Zubeidi, once one of the most influential leaders in Jenin, endured multiple assassination attempts, imprisonment, and the tragic loss of family members, yet remained steadfast in his commitment to resistance.
Born in 1976 in the Jenin refugee camp, Zubeidi grew up witnessing the brutal realities of Israeli occupation. His early involvement in resistance began during the First Intifada, when he was shot and later imprisoned as a teenager. Over time, he became a key figure in the Al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades, the armed wing of Fatah, leading numerous resistance operations. His family suffered immensely, with his mother and multiple brothers killed by Israeli forces. Following the destruction of Jenin by Israeli forces in 2002, he emerged as a major symbol of Palestinian defiance and resilience.
Zubeidi’s role extended beyond armed resistance; he was deeply involved in cultural activism, notably as the director of the Freedom Theater in Jenin. He viewed art as a form of resistance, providing young Palestinians with an alternative means to express their struggle. Despite being granted amnesty in 2007, Israel later revoked it, leading to his re-arrest in 2019 on charges of armed resistance. He continued his education in prison, earning a master’s degree and writing a dissertation on Palestinian resistance.
Perhaps most famously, Zubeidi was part of the daring 2021 Gilboa Prison escape, where he and five others tunneled out of an Israeli maximum-security facility using makeshift tools. Although recaptured, his defiance remained unbroken. His release in 2024 was met with both celebration and renewed Israeli crackdowns, including the destruction of his family home in Jenin. Standing before a cheering crowd, Zubeidi reaffirmed his commitment to the Palestinian cause, declaring that the land belongs to its rightful people and that the occupiers must leave.
