Latest news with #Zubeidi
Arab News
31-01-2025
- Politics
- Arab News
Released Palestinian Zakaria Zubeidi blames West for Israel's occupation
LONDON: One of the most prominent Palestinian figures freed this week by Israel as part of the Gaza ceasefire has blamed Western countries for the Israeli occupation. Zakaria Zubeidi, a former militant commander in the West Bank, received a hero's welcome when he arrived in Ramallah late on Thursday after his release by Israel. The 49-year-old, who grew up in a refugee camp in Jenin, was jailed in 2019 after an Israeli military court convicted him of involvement in terrorism. In an interview with Sky News, Zubeidi said he still believed in 'a resistance that will lead us to freedom,' but claimed that Israel's occupation of the West Bank had been allowed to continue by the international community. He added: 'Freedom has no price. But the world that has denied me my freedom — particularly Britain, France, and the United States — must return what they have taken from me and my children. 'They are the ones who need to reconsider their mistakes, not me. 'They are the ones who have wronged us, and they should think about rectifying the harm they have caused to me and my children.' Such is Zubeidi's popularity that he was greeted by the former Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh. 'Palestinians are desperate for peace,' Shtayyeh said. 'We want a genuine peace process that does really bring peace and justice for everybody.' A long line of people at a school in Ramallah also waited to shake Zubeidi's hand and hug him. Zubeidi has been banned from returning to Jenin, where Israeli forces have launched military operations after switching their focus from Gaza to the West Bank. Zubeidi has admitted a role in a bombing attack in 2002 during the Second Intifada that killed six Israeli civilians. During that period he was the head of the Jenin Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade, the military wing of the Fatah political party. Zubeidi's father was arrested by Israel for being a Fatah member when Zubeidi was a child. Later, as a teenager, he was shot in the leg while throwing stones at Israeli soldiers. Zubeidi's mother and brother were killed in 2002 during Israeli military operations in Jenin. His mother had hosted a theater group in Jenin to promote understanding between Palestinians and Israelis, which Zubeidi attended. He was among six prisoners who escaped in 2021 by digging a tunnel with dining plates, before being captured five days later.
Yahoo
31-01-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
'They're the ones who wronged us': Freed Palestinian prisoner Zakaria Zubeidi rebukes UK and US over 'harm they've caused'
One of the most high-profile prisoners to be released by Israel has told Sky News that the world has ignored Palestinians and says Britain is one of the countries he blames for taking away his freedom. Zakaria Zubeidi was imprisoned in 2019 after being found guilty by an Israeli military court of involvement in terrorism. He was released as part of the ceasefire agreement and welcomed back to the West Bank by crowds of well-wishers, including the man who was prime minister less than a year ago. Analysis: In his first interview with a European broadcaster, Zubeidi told Sky News he still believes in "a resistance that will lead us to freedom" but claimed that Israeli occupation of the West Bank was wholly down to the international community. "My life is worthless without freedom," he said, speaking in Ramallah. "Freedom has no price. But the world that has denied me my freedom - particularly Britain, France, and the United States - must return what they have taken from me and my children. "They are the ones who need to reconsider their mistakes, not me. "They are the ones who have wronged us, and they should think about rectifying the harm they have caused to me and my children." Zubeidi, whose mother, brother and son have all died as a result of Israeli military action, has admitted involvement in a 2002 bombing that killed six people. However, he has also been acclaimed by many in the West Bank as a symbol of the resistance. He was famously part of a group of prisoners who briefly escaped their Israeli jail after using kitchen utensils to dig a tunnel. "My message to the Palestinian people is to prioritise their safety and well-being because the assault being carried out against them is immense. I have no message for the occupation [Israel]," he said. "My message is to the world - the same world that granted the occupation the right to live on my land - to grant me my freedom." In common with many other released prisoners, he claimed to have been beaten while behind bars, saying: "The situation in Israeli prisons is extremely harsh. We've witnessed it all: severe beatings, attack dogs, relentless insults. Every form of abuse imaginable has been inflicted on the bodies of our prisoners." While many in Israel will consider Zubeidi to be a dangerous, murderous extremist, he is considered a totemic figure in the West Bank, and a natural leader in Jenin, where he grew up in a refugee camp. After being released, Israeli authorities banned him from returning to Jenin. Instead, he has remained in Ramallah, where a long line of people came to a school building to shake his hand and hug him. Among them, former prime minister Mohammad Shtayyeh, who resigned less than a year ago. He embraced Zubeidi and told Sky News the release of prisoners could be a catalyst for an enduring peace deal. "We would like to see all prisoners released and we would like to see all hostages going home," said Mr Shtayyeh. He continued: "It's a historic moment for everybody. It's time for this bloodshed to stop. And I think it is a moment of truth for everybody. "In Gaza, 60,000 people have been killed, more than 120,000 have been injured. And of course, there have been so many casualties in Israel, too. "We know that. And this time Palestinians are desperate for peace. We want a genuine peace process that does really bring peace and justice for everybody." More than 47,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israel's offensive, according to Hamas-run authorities in Gaza, which does not distinguish between civilians and combatants. The offensive followed Hamas's attack on Israel on 7 October 2023, when it took 250 people hostage and killed around 1,200 others.
Sky News
31-01-2025
- Politics
- Sky News
'They're the ones who wronged us': Freed Palestinian prisoner Zakaria Zubeidi rebukes UK and US over 'harm they've caused'
One of the most high-profile prisoners to be released by Israel has told Sky News that the world has ignored Palestinians and says Britain is one of the countries he blames for taking away his freedom. Zakaria Zubeidi was imprisoned in 2019 after being found guilty by an Israeli military court of involvement in terrorism. He was released as part of the ceasefire agreement and welcomed back to the West Bank by crowds of well-wishers, including the man who was prime minister less than a year ago. In his first interview with a European broadcaster, Zubeidi told Sky News he still believes in "a resistance that will lead us to freedom" but claimed that Israeli occupation of the West Bank was wholly down to the international community. "My life is worthless without freedom," he said, speaking in Ramallah. "Freedom has no price. But the world that has denied me my freedom - particularly Britain, France, and the United States - must return what they have taken from me and my children. "They are the ones who need to reconsider their mistakes, not me. "They are the ones who have wronged us, and they should think about rectifying the harm they have caused to me and my children." Zubeidi, whose mother, brother and son have all died as a result of Israeli military action, has admitted involvement in a 2002 bombing that killed six people. However, he has also been acclaimed by many in the West Bank as a symbol of the resistance. He was famously part of a group of prisoners who briefly escaped their Israeli jail after using kitchen utensils to dig a tunnel. "My message to the Palestinian people is to prioritise their safety and well-being because the assault being carried out against them is immense. I have no message for the occupation [Israel]," he said. "My message is to the world - the same world that granted the occupation the right to live on my land - to grant me my freedom." In common with many other released prisoners, he claimed to have been beaten while behind bars, saying: "The situation in Israeli prisons is extremely harsh. We've witnessed it all: severe beatings, attack dogs, relentless insults. Every form of abuse imaginable has been inflicted on the bodies of our prisoners." While many in Israel will consider Zubeidi to be a dangerous, murderous extremist, he is considered a totemic figure in the West Bank, and a natural leader in Jenin, where he grew up in a refugee camp. After being released, Israeli authorities banned him from returning to Jenin. Instead, he has remained in Ramallah, where a long line of people came to a school building to shake his hand and hug him. Among them, former prime minister Mohammad Shtayyeh, who resigned less than a year ago. He embraced Zubeidi and told Sky News the release of prisoners could be a catalyst for an enduring peace deal. "We would like to see all prisoners released and we would like to see all hostages going home," said Mr Shtayyeh. He continued: "It's a historic moment for everybody. It's time for this bloodshed to stop. And I think it is a moment of truth for everybody. "In Gaza, 60,000 people have been killed, more than 120,000 have been injured. And of course, there have been so many casualties in Israel, too. "We know that. And this time Palestinians are desperate for peace. We want a genuine peace process that does really bring peace and justice for everybody." More than 47,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israel's offensive, according to Hamas-run authorities in Gaza, which does not distinguish between civilians and combatants. The offensive followed Hamas's attack on Israel on 7 October 2023, when it took 250 people hostage and killed around 1,200 others.
Yahoo
31-01-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
AP photos capture a day of wrenching emotion as Israel and Hamas release hostages and prisoners
JERUSALEM (AP) — It was a day of wrenching emotions: Relief, joy, anger and trauma all spilled out as Hamas released a new round of hostages and Israel freed more Palestinians from its prisons. In the latest in the series of exchanges under the Israel-Hamas ceasefire deal Thursday, three Israeli hostages, five Thai workers who had also been held captive by militants in Gaza and 110 Palestinians were freed. Friends of Arbel Yehoud gripped each other's hands, tears in their eyes, as they gathered at a home in southern Israel to watch on TV as the 29-year-old emerged surrounded by masked Hamas fighters with their green headbands and automatic rifles. See for yourself — The Yodel is the go-to source for daily news, entertainment and feel-good stories. By signing up, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy. After more than 470 days of captivity, Yehoud looked stunned, surrounded by a giant crowd of Palestinians in the ruins of the southern Gaza city of Khan Younis gathered to witness her handover. The fighters marched her through the crowd to vehicles of the Red Cross. The scenes were similar as militants freed Gadi Moses, an 80-year-old man, and female soldier Agam Berger, 20. Since the ceasefire began, Hamas has turned each round of hostage releases into a combination of spectacle and ceremony with large crowds, flags and stages. For the militants, it's a chance to show off their survival as a fighting force to Israelis and Palestinians alike, as well as to highlight the devastation wreaked by Israel in Gaza during its 15-month campaign of retaliation over the Oct. 7, 2023 Hamas-led attacks in which the hostages were snatched. But the images of hostages being led through the crowds have unnerved and angered Israelis. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned the 'shocking scenes' and called on international mediators to ensure the safety of hostages in future releases — a commitment he said he later received. For more than 15 months, Israelis have been riveted by the ordeals of the hostages. Each release has brought an outpouring of relief, intertwined with frustration and sorrow over the dozens who remain captive. For Palestinians, the releases of those imprisoned by Israel bring an end to years of separation. Palestinians view the prisoners released as heroes who have sacrificed for the cause of ending Israel's decades-long occupation of their land. In the Israeli-occupied West Bank, a cheering crowd lifted Zakaria Zubeidi onto their shoulders after his release. Zubeidi thrilled Palestinians – and stunned the Israeli security establishment – with a dramatic jailbreak alongside other prisoners in 2021, though they were all soon recaptured. Zubeidi once headed an armed militia and was imprisoned in the early 2000s for attacks on Israelis. After serving his time, he said he set aside militancy for political activism and opened a theater for 'cultural resistance' in the Jenin refugee camp. Israel arrested him again in 2019 for alleged involvement in attacks on settlers, though in the six years since he was not tried. Those released included 30 serving life sentences for deadly attacks against Israelis, all but seven of whom were immediately sent into exile.
Associated Press
31-01-2025
- Politics
- Associated Press
AP photos capture a day of wrenching emotion as Israel and Hamas release hostages and prisoners
JERUSALEM (AP) — It was a day of wrenching emotions: Relief, joy, anger and trauma all spilled out as Hamas released a new round of hostages and Israel freed more Palestinians from its prisons. In the latest in the series of exchanges under the Israel-Hamas ceasefire deal Thursday, three Israeli hostages, five Thai workers who had also been held captive by militants in Gaza and 110 Palestinians were freed. Friends of Arbel Yehoud gripped each other's hands, tears in their eyes, as they gathered at a home in southern Israel to watch on TV as the 29-year-old emerged surrounded by masked Hamas fighters with their green headbands and automatic rifles. After more than 470 days of captivity, Yehoud looked stunned, surrounded by a giant crowd of Palestinians in the ruins of the southern Gaza city of Khan Younis gathered to witness her handover. The fighters marched her through the crowd to vehicles of the Red Cross. The scenes were similar as militants freed Gadi Moses, an 80-year-old man, and female soldier Agam Berger, 20. Since the ceasefire began, Hamas has turned each round of hostage releases into a combination of spectacle and ceremony with large crowds, flags and stages. For the militants, it's a chance to show off their survival as a fighting force to Israelis and Palestinians alike, as well as to highlight the devastation wreaked by Israel in Gaza during its 15-month campaign of retaliation over the Oct. 7, 2023 Hamas-led attacks in which the hostages were snatched. But the images of hostages being led through the crowds have unnerved and angered Israelis. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned the 'shocking scenes' and called on international mediators to ensure the safety of hostages in future releases — a commitment he said he later received. For more than 15 months, Israelis have been riveted by the ordeals of the hostages. Each release has brought an outpouring of relief, intertwined with frustration and sorrow over the dozens who remain captive. For Palestinians, the releases of those imprisoned by Israel bring an end to years of separation. Palestinians view the prisoners released as heroes who have sacrificed for the cause of ending Israel's decades-long occupation of their land. In the Israeli-occupied West Bank, a cheering crowd lifted Zakaria Zubeidi onto their shoulders after his release. Zubeidi thrilled Palestinians – and stunned the Israeli security establishment – with a dramatic jailbreak alongside other prisoners in 2021, though they were all soon recaptured. Zubeidi once headed an armed militia and was imprisoned in the early 2000s for attacks on Israelis. After serving his time, he said he set aside militancy for political activism and opened a theater for 'cultural resistance' in the Jenin refugee camp. Israel arrested him again in 2019 for alleged involvement in attacks on settlers, though in the six years since he was not tried. Those released included 30 serving life sentences for deadly attacks against Israelis, all but seven of whom were immediately sent into exile.
