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« Israel Frees Palestinian Terrorists »

« Israel Frees Palestinian Terrorists »

Almost 2,000 prisoners could benefit from the agreement with Hamas.

By Jonas Roth and Adina Renner

There was a time when Zakaria Zubeidi was one of the most wanted Palestinians in the West Bank. Arrested multiple times in his youth for throwing stones and Molotov cocktails at Israeli soldiers, he later became radicalized during the Second Intifada. Zubeidi joined the al-Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigades, the militant wing of Fatah, led by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. Rising quickly to a leadership role, Zubeidi was dubbed the “King of Jenin,” after the stronghold of militant Palestinians in the northern West Bank.

Zubeidi openly boasted to Israeli journalists about the terror attacks he orchestrated. Among them was a 2002 attack in Beit Shean, where six Israelis were killed, and another in Tel Aviv in 2004 that claimed one life. Israeli forces made four attempts to assassinate him. Though he received amnesty in 2007, Zubeidi later resumed his involvement in terrorist activities. In 2019, he was arrested and sentenced to a long prison term in Israel.

Now, at age 49, Zubeidi is among those slated for release under a deal brokered between Israel and the Hamas terrorist organization. The Israeli Ministry of Justice published a list of 734 names on Saturday, including Zubeidi. He is the most high-profile name, but who are the others set to be freed over the next six weeks?

« Blood on their Hands »

The Israeli-published list details not only the names of the Palestinian prisoners but also their sentences, crimes, and affiliations with militant groups. Among the prisoners, about 300 are affiliated with Hamas, and another 260 belong to Fatah, likely from its al-Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigades. Additionally, 60 prisoners are associated with the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ), an ally of Hamas in Gaza.

Many of these detainees are described as having “blood on their hands,” a term used in Israel for individuals involved in killing Israelis. Of the listed prisoners, 284 are serving life sentences. These include Mahmoud Abu Varda, sentenced to 48 life terms for his involvement in a 1996 bus bombing in Jerusalem that killed 45 people, and Tabet Mardawi, serving 21 life sentences for PIJ-led attacks that killed 20 and injured 150 Israelis.

For Israel, such concessions evoke painful memories of past prisoner exchanges, particularly the 2011 swap for abducted Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit, which involved the release of over 1,000 Palestinian prisoners. Among those released was Yahya Sinwar, later implicated in orchestrating the October 7, 2023, massacre. Critics argue that this ceasefire agreement repeats prior mistakes.

90 Freed Already

Following Hamas’s release of three Israeli hostages kidnapped on October 7, 2023, 69 women and 21 minors were released from the Ofer prison in the West Bank. The released individuals were met with celebratory crowds waving Palestinian and Hamas flags in Ramallah.

Among those freed was Khalida Jarrar, a prominent 62-year-old activist and politician who had previously served prison terms. In 2021, Jarrar was sentenced to two years for her affiliation with the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), a Marxist-Leninist group designated as a terrorist organization by Israel. Although Jarrar had completed her sentence, she was detained again after the October 7 massacre under « administrative detention, » a practice criticized by human rights groups for enabling indefinite incarceration without trial. About 3,400 Palestinians are currently held in administrative detention.

Five Months for a Social Media Post

The case of 24-year-old Shatha Jarabaa illustrates the wide net cast by the Israeli military administration. Arrested in August 2024 for a social media post critical of Israel’s actions in Gaza, she was charged with « incitement and support for terrorism » but released after five months.

Under the ceasefire, approximately 2,000 Palestinians are expected to be released, including the 734 named individuals and 1,200 more detained after the start of the recent conflict. While it remains unclear who these additional detainees are, their release depends on proving they were not involved in the October 7 massacre.

© Neue Zürcher Zeitung, January 23, 2025. Page 2
Authors: Jonas Roth, Adina Renner

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