Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz issued a stark warning on Saturday night to Zakaria Zubeidi, a high profile Arab terrorist released on Thursday.
“Zakaria Zubeidi, you were released in an agreement for the release of Israeli hostages – one mistake and you’re going to meet old friends,” Katz tweeeted. “We will not accept support for terrorism.”
Zubeidi was one of 110 terrorists released on Thursday for hostages Gadi Moses, Arbel Yehud and Agam Berger.
Zubeidi, now 49, was the commander of Fatah’s Al-Aqsa Martry’s Brigades in Jenin. He ordered an attack on a Likud polling center in Beit Shean in 2002 in which six people were killed while voting in a party primary.
Zubeidi claimed responsibility for a 2004 bombing in Tel Aviv that killed one and injured 30, and carried out or attempted several shooting attacks on Israel buses.
Zubeidi was one of six prisoners who briefly escaped from Gilboa prison in 2021, before being recaptured. Zubeidi is especially popular among PA Arabs because he managed to escape several Israeli assassination attempts during the Second Intifada.
Many of the 1,027 terrorists freed in the Gilad Shalit exchange of 2011 returned to terror, including Yahya Sinwar, who masterminded the October 7 attacks. Ronen Bar, head of the Israel Security Agency (Shin Bet), reportedly told government ministers in January that 82% of the prisoners released for Shalit returned to terror.
The first phase of the ceasefire is supposed to see a total of 33 Israeli hostages freed over six weeks in exchange for hundreds of Arab terrorists imprisoned in Israel. The exact number will depend on how many are alive.
The fate of the remaining 65 hostages will be determined by negotiations to begin on the 16th day of the ceasefire. Critics say the phased approach condemns hostages not freed in the beginning to open-ended captivity and undermines Israel’s war gains.
At least 1,200 people were killed, and 252 Israelis and foreigners were taken hostage in Hamas’s attacks on Israeli communities near the Gaza border on October 7. Of the 79 remaining hostages, 35 have been declared dead.
