Israel to transfer recaptured Palestinian prisoner Zubeidi to hospital

By Yousef Ibrahim

JERUSALEM (AA) – Israeli authorities will transfer recaptured Palestinian prisoner Zakaria Zubeidi to hospital for medical treatment, according to local media on Sunday.

Zubeidi will be moved to Rambam Hospital for treatment in the northern city of Haifa, Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper reported.

Zubeidi, along with other five Palestinian prisoners, had escaped from the high-security Gilboa prison in northern Israel on Monday. He and three other inmates, however, were caught by Israeli forces.

His defense lawyer Avigdor Feldman had earlier asked the court to transfer the Palestinian prisoner to hospital for treatment, saying that Israeli officers had hid Zubeidi’s face from cameras during Saturday’s court session to hide his injuries.

On Saturday, the court extended the police detention of Zubeidi and the three other prisoners till Sept. 19

The jailbreak has been hailed as a “big victory” by Palestinians, while Israelis decried it as a major security and intelligence failure.

*Writing by Ahmed Asmar