Zakaria Zubeidi, a symbol of the Second Intifada, was released today. He survived attempts on his life and arrests by both the Palestinian Authority and Israel. In 2021, he escaped a max-security prison by digging a tunnel with a spoon. Read on to learn about his story. 🧵 Zakaria is a former leader of the Al-Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigades and a symbol of the Palestinian armed struggle during the Second Intifada. He grew up under military occupation, witnessed the demolition of his refugee camp, survived multiple assassination attempts, and endured imprisonment by both the Palestinian Authority (PA) and Israel. During the First Intifada, Zakaria became involved in theater through his mother, Samira Zubeidi, who worked alongside activist Arna Mer-Khamis. They later decided to establish the Stone Theatre on the top floor of their home in Jenin refugee camp. Zakaria was arrested during the First Intifada for throwing stones and Molotov cocktails at the Israeli army. After his release under the Oslo Accords in 2002, during the Second Intifada, Israeli snipers killed his mother and brother. Zakaria witnessed the destruction of his family home, along with much of the camp, by the Israeli army. After surviving the Israeli invasion and receiving amnesty at the end of the Second Intifada, Zakaria and Juliano Mer-Khamis founded the Freedom Theatre in Jenin to support Palestinian youth through cultural resistance, offering them an artistic way to express themselves in the face of the occupation’s violence. The Zubeidi family endured multiple losses, with at least eight members, including Zakaria’s brother Dawood and his 21-year-old son Mohamed, killed by the Israeli army. Due to his incarceration, Zakaria was never able to attend their burial. “My mother was martyred in the Jenin Camp Battle and buried by the Red Cross; we couldn’t reach her due to the intensity of the battle. [..] My brother Taha was buried while I was under the rubble of the camp and destroyed houses. Today, Dawood has joined them, and I was unable to say goodbye or perform the mourning rituals. I don’t know what it’s like; I’ve never experienced it personally.” On September 6, 2021, Zakaria was one of six Palestinian prisoners who broke out of the high-security Gilboa Prison by digging their way out with a spoon. After his recapture, he endured brutal torture, which required him to be hospitalized. Before his release, the Israeli army raided Zakaria’s home in the Jenin refugee camp, destroying it and harassing his family. They handcuffed and blindfolded them, warning them not to celebrate Zakaria’s release. Jenin is currently under an Israeli military campaign targeting resistance groups in the West Bank. Since the operation began, at least 16 Palestinians have been killed, over 50 injured, and more than 20,000 displaced. Yesterday, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz announced a permanent army presence in the Jenin camp.