On 28 September 2000, the late Israeli PM Ariel Sharon stormed Al-Aqsa Mosque with around 2,000 Israeli soldiers, guards and settlers, provoking the Palestinians to fight back. That day marked the beginning of the Palestinian "Second Intifada" and signalled the end of the Oslo Accord, which was signed between Israel and the Palestinian Authority in 1993 and presented as a solution to the decades-long bloody conflict between the Israeli occupation and the Palestinian people.
Sharon's act launched a new chapter in this ongoing tale. It also brought forth new characters to the stage, like Zakaria Zubeidi.
Today, Zakaria Zubeidi is 46-years old, a father of two boys and one girl, and a member of the Fatah Revolutionary Council. During the Second Intifada, he was the top commander of the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, Fatah's military wing in the refugee camp of Jenin, the place of his birth.
Between 2000 and 2002, around 200 Israelis and 700 Palestinians were killed during the clashes that occurred in the Second Intifada. Israeli soldiers often opened fire on Palestinians at checkpoints, in demonstrations, and on the streets. In return, Palestinian fighters launched several suicide attacks against Israeli targets.
Israel claimed that Zubeidi orchestrated many of these attacks and decided to storm the entire West Bank, including Jenin, where Zubeidi and his men were located. For more than two weeks in April 2002, Israel besieged and bombarded the camp. At least 56 Palestinians were killed, while Israel confirmed the death of at least 23 of its soldiers in that battle.
According to his brother, Yahia Zubeidi, speaking to The New Arab, Zakaria survived by hiding under the rubble for days. Yahia, meanwhile, was captured during that battle and served 17 years in prison. "None of us was like Jesus the Christ - we could not turn the other cheek to those who slap us. We need to defend ourselves," Yahia said, on why he and Zakaria’s decided to use arms against Israel.
After the battle of Jenin in 2002, Zakaria Zubeidi became one of the most wanted Palestinians sought after by the Israeli authorities. Israel attempted to assassinate him at least four times, killing 14 Palestinians in these failed attempts, nevertheless, Zubeidi always managed to survive. Israel. The Israelis ultimately killed his mother and one of his brothers during two different military operations in 2002 and demolished three places where he had lived.
The Palestinian Authority (PA) president and leader of the Fatah party, Mahmoud Abbas, believes only in peaceful means to achieve the goals for Palestinian statehood and does not support any form of military action in his agenda. In 2007, Abbas, Israel, and Zubeidi reached an agreement by which Zubeidi surrendered his weapons in return for amnesty from Israel. "Zakaria wanted to give a chance for Abbas to revive the peace process after both met in the camp… he even started Al-Hurria ("Freedom") Theatre in Jenin," Yahia noted to TNA.
In 2011, Israel revoked the amnesty it gave to Zubeidi and sought to arrest him under the accusation that he had resumed military activities. He then turned himself into the Palestinian security forces for protection. It was during that period which he had enrolled at Birzeit University to do a Masters’ of Arts in Arab Contemporary Studies. As many know now, the title of his dissertation states, "The Dragon and The Hunter" and his thesis explores the experiences Palestinians have as they are being chased by the Israeli occupation forces.
In 2019, Israeli troops entered swiftly into Ramallah city and captured Zubeidi.
Taken to the Galboa maximum security prison, which is located in the north of Israel, he met a group of five former Islamic Jihad militants, and they all agreed to escape. By November 2020, they started digging a tunnel under a sink of one of their cells using sharpened pans’ handles, according to Israeli security officials. By 6 September 2021, the six men successfully escaped the prison. All were recaptured by Israel days later, including Zubeidi.
For its part, the Hamas movement in Gaza vowed to prioritize the release of these six men in any future prisoner exchange deals with Israel. Israel currently holds 4,850 Palestinian prisoners, according to official Palestinian sources, while Hamas has four Israelis in custody in Gaza. Reports claim both Hamas and Israel are close to reaching such a deal, which could mean that Zubeidi will potentially be out of prison soon enough, and this time, he will likely walk out through its front gates.
Zubeidi not only managed to escape a highly secured Israeli prison, but he also highlighted an Israeli inclination of favouring negotiations with armed Palestinians while hunting and repressing unarmed Palestinians. This action by Israel can be credited for encouraging more Palestinians to embrace the armed struggle.
"Israel is not helping the Palestinian peace camp. It is in fact weakening them. Israel has given [the peace camp] nothing tangible…this made peace supporters frustrated and incapable of convincing other Palestinians that a free, independent Palestinian state is viable through negotiations," said Reham Owda, a writer and political analyst based in Gaza.
Days after Zubeidi was arrested, $US 30m were sent to Hamas-run Gaza as part of a deal between Qatar, the UN, Israel and Hamas. The latter has always been referred to as a "terrorist organization" in Gaza, with Israel launching four wars across in the last 15 years, each time unsuccessful in toppling Hamas. The deal guarantees $US 360m a year will go to Gaza. For years, these millions used to be brought in cash in suitcases through Israel to the Hamas government.
Meanwhile, Israel is slashing payments to the PA, in violation of agreements under the Oslo Accords and Paris Economic Agreement. The Israeli officials justify these cuts by saying that the PA is not "a real partner for peace" and "supports the families of the Palestinian martyrs and prisoners," such as Zubeidi's family.
Zubeidi's experience has made us understand the contours of Israel's policy towards the Palestinians: Armed Palestinians, who are weak, are fought and killed unless they surrender their weapons, and even when they do comply, they are imprisoned. Meanwhile, Palestinians, who believe in non-violence and do not conduct armed struggle, are called "non-partners", their budgets are slashed, and given zero ground. Yet, the stronger the Palestinians are at the battlefield, the more likely Israel will start to negotiate.
This policy has been encouraging more Palestinians to embrace fighting as that seems like the only possible way for them to get something from Israel. In 2004, Israel left Gaza in response to Palestinian military resistance and not negotiations. The same scenario took place before in southern Lebanon in 2000, with Israel forced to leave it occupied after years of Hezbollah's armed resistance.
Palestinians under the Israeli occupation seek a free and independent state. They have two paths to achieve their goal. Either military resistance or peace negotiations. Both have been tried, and Israel only responds positively to the former. Ultimately, Zubbeidi's ongoing life story is an example of a Palestinian attempting these two options and seeing which one has an effect on Israel.
When Zubeidi had his gun in Jenin, Israel could not defeat him. An unarmed Zubeidi became an easy catch. Yet when pushed to the corner once again, all Zubeidi needed was a rusty spoon to defeat Israel.
Meanwhile, by Israel's own actions, more Zubeidis will appear for many years to come.
Abu Bakr Bashir is a journalist in Alaraby TV in London. He was a former reporter and producer for NPR, The Wall Street Journal, The Daily Telegraph and JIJIpress in the Gaza Strip.
Follow him on Twitter: Abubakrbashir4
Opinions expressed in this article remain those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The New Arab, its editorial board or staff.