An IDF UAV on Saturday afternoon struck a group of armed terrorists near Jenin.
According to Palestinian Arab reports, two of the terrorists were killed in the strike. One of them is Abed Aluna, who was released from prison during the first ceasefire-prisoner swap deal between Hamas and Israel in November 2023. In that deal, civilian women and children under 19 were freed.
Earlier on Saturday evening, the IDF announced that it was carrying out, with ISA guidance, a strike on terrorists in Qabatiya, south of Jenin. The Red Crescent reported that two people were killed and a third injured.
Statistics show that 82% of the 1,027 terrorists released in the 2011 Shalit deal returned to terror following their release. One of the Shalit deal terrorists was Hamas leader archterrorist Yahya Sinwar, who masterminded the October 7 massacre.
Earlier on Saturday evening, Defense Minister Israel Katz warned released terrorist Zakaria Zubeidi, who was released Thursday as part of the group exchanged for three women, that if Zubeidi "makes a mistake," he will "meet old friends."
"We will not accept support for terror," Katz added.
Upon his release Thursday, Zubeidi, who has become a symbol of terror in Jenin, received a hero's welcome upon his release to Ramallah. Upon arrival, he made a "victory" sign with his fingers, and said, "Thanks to Allah, who blessed me with the release today. May God have mercy on the martyrs in Gaza."
Zubeidi was arrested in early 2019 and jailed following several shooting attacks in the Beit El area. In 2021, he succeeded in escaping the Gilboa Prison together with five other terrorists, and was caught after five days of intense searching. Zubeidi had served years before that in prison as well, among other things due to his position as head of the Fatah organization's Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade in Jenin.