Zakaria's brother: Occupation forces prevent the four prisoners from meeting with lawyers

Yahya al-Zubaidi, brother of prisoner Zakaria, told Al Mayadeen that his brother suffers from a difficult health condition due to previous injuries exacerbated by the Israeli forces' physical assault on him.

Al-Zubaidi explained that Zakaria's health condition has deteriorated, due to an old injury to his face with a mortar shell, a broken leg, and bruises all over his body," adding, “we do not know how severe the injury to his jaw is."

#فلسطين | كيف هو الوضع الصحّي للأسير #زكريا_الزبيدي؟ ولماذا التأخير في نقله إلى المستشفى؟#نفق_الحرية #سجن_الجلبوع pic.twitter.com/1O0MUheiuO
— قناة الميادين (@AlMayadeenNews) September 12, 2021

Zakaria’s brother indicated that his family received news this morning that the occupation had transferred Zakaria to Rambam Hospital, and after journalists and lawyers headed there, the hospital denied his presence. Afterward, the occupation said that Zakaria was transferred to Hadassah Hospital, yet again the hospital denied he was there. Consequently, Yahya al-Zubaidi confirmed that "there is a blackout on his brother's health."

The worried brother also stressed that they are awaiting any reassurance on his brother’s health from official bodies, not from the occupation, noting that "the occupation forces prevent the four prisoners from meeting with their defense lawyers."

Earlier, Israeli media had reported that prisoner Zakaria al-Zubaidi was transferred to Rambam Hospital for treatment, a day after re-arresting him following his breakout from Gilboa Prison.

Zakaria’s defense lawyer speaks

The defense lawyer for the arrested prisoners said in an interview for Al Mayadeen that "the transfer of the prisoner al-Zubaidi for treatment came after he was severely beaten, which led to a fracture under his left eye."

Yesterday, the Central Occupation Court decided to extend the detention of the four prisoners until next Sunday.

A full-scale strike

In a related context, a full-scale strike was carried out in Jenin in response to the call of national and Islamic forces and in solidarity with the four prisoners who broke out of Gilboa Prison but were later re-arrested.

Jenin residents responded fully to the call for the strike. Shops, educational institutions, and government offices were all closed. Traffic was snarled up, and the streets appeared almost deserted.

Furthermore, national and Islamic forces called for a resurgence of all forms of resistance against the Israeli occupation.

A recount

Israeli media had reported that the occupation forces captured two prisoners, Zakaria al-Zubaidi and Muhammad al-Arida, Saturday at dawn, only a day after the re-arrest of Mahmoud al-Arida and Yaqoub Qadri. The Israeli forces are still searching for the two remaining escapees, Ayham Kamamji and Munadel Yaqoub Nafi'at.

Earlier, the Israeli occupation announced that six Palestinian prisoners broke out of Gilboa Prison, which is under heavy security through a tunnel they dug under the prison.