Zakaria Zubeidi, the former leader of a Palestinian militant group jailed for attacks that killed several Israelis, was released on Thursday as part of a Gaza ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas.
Zubeidi, 49, rose to prominence in the early 2000s during the Second Intifada (Palestinian uprising), becoming one of the most prominent militant leaders in Jenin and its refugee camps in the occupied West Bank.
During this same uprising, Zubeidi’s mother was shot and killed when Israeli forces raided the camp. He is known by Israeli security services as the person behind several deadly, high-profile attacks against Israelis.
Long years of militant activity
Zubeidi became active in Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas’s Fatah party after being imprisoned in 1989 at the age of 14. Arrested again in 1990 for throwing stones and petrol bombs at Israeli troops, he rose through the ranks and eventually became the leader of the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, Fatah’s armed wing in Jenin.
After being released again under the Oslo Accords in 1994, he joined the newly formed Palestinian Authority security forces in the West Bank city of Jericho, along with other former prisoners. In 2001, Zubeidi was injured in an accidental explosion during a ‘military mission’, which caused severe burns to his face and eyes that are still visible.
The Black Rat
Forced into hiding by continued militant activity, Zubedi remained at large until 2007, when he agreed to hand over his weapons to the Palestinian Authority. The deal, offered to all fugitives who chose to abide by it, removed Zubeidi’s name from Israel’s wanted list.
But in 2011, Israel withdrew Zubeidi’s pardon for unknown reasons. He was arrested in 2019 for his involvement in several shootings near the Israeli settlement of Beit El, near Ramallah. He claims to have survived several assassination attempts by Israel, earning him the nickname ‘The Black Rat’ for his ability to evade targeting.
Zubeidi is known among Palestinians as a powerful figure in Jenin, and is also known as one of the few prisoners who managed to escape from Israel’s high-security Gilboa prison in 2021. He escaped with five other prisoners through a tunnel carved under the prison wall, but was recaptured five days later.
Stage
Zubeidi also became involved in the Jenin theater, a dense refugee camp created in the early 1950s to host Palestinians who fled their homes during the creation of Israel. As a child, he participated in activities at Arna House, a community space and theater founded by Israeli activist Arna Mer-Khamis for youth from the camp, located in the building where his family lived.
The community playhouse was destroyed by Israeli forces in a 2002 raid. It was later rebuilt and renamed the Freedom Theater. After the 2007 amnesty, Zubedi returned to Jenin and rejoined the camp’s theater scene. During this time, he also became an outspoken critic of the Palestinian Authority.
During his years in prison, Zubedi’s three brothers and his son Muhammad were killed by Israeli forces. According to sources close to Zubaydah, his first plan after his release was to visit his son’s grave. He was unable to attend his son’s funeral because he was in prison.
