From the Liveblog of
Thursday, January 30, 2025
Palestinians in Ramallah await arrival of freed convicts, including terror chief Zubeidi
Hundreds of Palestinians awaiting the arrival of the security prisoners slated for release to the West Bank are gathered outside a community center in Ramallah.
Some 30 former prisoners headed for the West Bank are expected at the community center. The gathering is organized by the Ramallah and al-Bireh municipalities.
Jubilant crowds wave Palestinian flags, as well as the symbols of Fatah and the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine.
“Today is a historic day for the Palestinian people,” an elderly man sporting a keffiyeh says to cheers.
Many attendees hold signs with the names and faces of the prisoners to be freed, most prominent among them former al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades chief Zakaria Zubeidi.
Zubeidi could be seen earlier flashing a victory sign to crowds from inside the bus as it made its way out of Ofer Prison and through a group of Palestinian youths clashing with Israeli forces. A windshield on the bus is damaged by a stone.
The Palestinian Red Crescent says that three Palestinians were wounded by Israeli fire in the confrontations outside Ofer prison. It said Israeli forces used gunfire and stun grenades to disperse the crowds. There is no immediate comment from the Israeli military.
The Times of Israel Community.