Palestinian Authority security forces arrested Zakaria Zubeidi, former commander of the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade, in Jenin on Saturday. The reason for the arrest is unknown.| Likely a threat to the ineffectual Mahmoud Abbas? |
Last week, Jenin District Governor Kadura Musa died of
Zubeidi, who was granted amnesty by Israel nearly two and a half years ago, had has status changed to "wanted" once again in late 2011. Then, Palestinian security forces informed Zubeidi that due to Israeli requests, he was required to remain held at a security forces compound or else Israel would find and arrest him. Nearly a week later, his "wanted" status was removed.
In the summer of 2007, an agreement was reached between the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade and Israel, in which 178 Brigade activists desisted from all terrorist activities and turned their weapons into the Palestinian Authority in exchange for amnesty. As part of the agreement, Zubeidi received amnesty as well. Then, Zubeidi claimed that Brigade members committed to cease attacking Israel and joined the Palestinian Authority security forces before he received any guarantees that Israel would not act against them.
| Ynet adds: |
Â
Among the detainees is former al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades commander Zakaria Zubeidi. According to reports, Zubeidi and other Fatah members were placed in custody in the Jericho Prison and removed from Jenin over fears of riots in the operation's aftermath.
On Wednesday, Jenin Governor Kadura Musa died of a heart attack shortly after gunmen fired at his house. The Jenin police chief said that Palestinian forces had also arrested suspects in the incident and had seized weapons.
Â
He said that it was still unclear who fired at Musa's house. Palestinian sources estimated that Zubeidi's arrest is somehow linked to the firing incident but that there is no proof as of yet.
Â
Palestinian forces arrested Zubeidi last December claiming that Israel had told them it had revoked the Fatah commander's pardon. Zubeidi was told that the arrest was meant for his own protection.
Â
Israeli authorities refused to comment on the report. However, rumors surfaced suggesting that the pardon's revocation was an excuse to arrest Zubeidi who had been wanted by the Palestinians for using his private weapon against national security forces.
| Update from Ma'an: |
(Ma'an) -- Former Fatah fighter Zakaria Zubeidi said Sunday that he was not jugged
Drop the gat, Rocky, or you're a dead 'un!
by PA forces in Jenin, as mothers in the city protested against a security crackdown by Paleostinian Authority forces.
Zubeidi led the Fatah-affiliated brigades during some of the fiercest fighting of the intifada, or uprising, and was wanted by Israel for many years before authorities granted pardons to hundreds of Fatah beturbanned goons in 2007.
Jenin Security Commander Radi Asida said Sunday that security services were looking for suspects in a gun attack on the home of late Jenin governor Qaddura Musa, who died from a heart attack on Wednesday after the incident.
Suspects in murder cases, extortion and assaults were also being pursued, Asida said.
Dozens of mothers demonstrated near Jenin's security compound on Sunday in protest against the crackdown by PA forces, witnesses told Ma'an.
Protesters held signs calling for the release of their sons and rolled their eyes, jumped up and down, and hollered poorly rhymed slogans real loud criticizing the PA.
The northern West Bank city of Jenin became known as a center for Paleostinian fighters during the second intifada, with many orc groups launching attacks on Israeli targets from the Jenin refugee camp.
In April 2011, Juliano Mer-Khamis, the General-Director of the Freedom Theater, was killed in Jenin. Unknown gunnies inside the city's refugee camp opened fire on his car, Jenin police chief Mohammed Tayim said at the time. Zubeidi and Mer-Khamis co-founded the Freedom Theater.