Al Mayadeen English

  • Ar
  • Es
  • x
Al Mayadeen English

Slogan

  • News
    • Politics
    • Economy
    • Sports
    • Arts&Culture
    • Health
    • Miscellaneous
    • Technology
    • Environment
  • Articles
    • Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Blog
    • Features
  • Videos
    • NewsFeed
    • Video Features
    • Explainers
    • TV
    • Digital Series
  • Infographs
  • In Pictures
  • • LIVE
News
  • Politics
  • Economy
  • Sports
  • Arts&Culture
  • Health
  • Miscellaneous
  • Technology
  • Environment
Articles
  • Opinion
  • Analysis
  • Blog
  • Features
Videos
  • NewsFeed
  • Video Features
  • Explainers
  • TV
  • Digital Series
Infographs
In Pictures
  • Africa
  • Asia
  • Asia-Pacific
  • Europe
  • Latin America
  • MENA
  • Palestine
  • US & Canada
BREAKING
Israeli media: At least two soldiers killed by anti-tank missile fired at Israeli army forces in the Gaza Strip
Local Syrian sources: Mortar shells fell on more than nine villages in the Sweida countryside
Local Syrian sources: Dozens of dead and wounded have arrived at Sweida hospitals as a result of ongoing clashes at several locations in the western Sweida countryside
Local sources: Civilians, including children and women, were injured in the al-Maqous neighborhood of Sweida, in Syria, as a result of ongoing clashes
Israeli media outlet: Security incident reported in the Gaza Strip
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson: No new date or venue has been set for the meeting between Araghchi and Witkoff, and no negotiations will take place until the outcome is guaranteed
Palestinian platforms: Settlers storm Al-Aqsa Mosque complex under the protection of the occupation police
Palestinian platforms: The IOF detonated a booby-trapped robot east of the al-Zaytoun neighborhood, south of Gaza City
Syrian Defense: We call on all parties in Sweida to cooperate with security forces and exercise restraint
Al Mayadeen's correspondent: The Lebanese Army is continuing its investigations and will later announce any information that does not affect the confidentiality of the investigation

Who is freed Palestinian prisoner Mohammad al-Arida?

  • By Al Mayadeen English
  • Source: Al Mayadeen
  • 26 Jan 2025 00:34
2 Min Read

Al-Arida was freed Saturday by Israeli authorities in the second round of the first phase of the prisoner exchange deal between the Palestinian Resistance and "Israel".

Listen
  • x
  • Al-Arida
    An illustration of freed Palestinian prisoner, Mohammad al-Arida, one of the heroes of Operation Freedom Tunnel, who was freed on Saturday, January 25, 2025, by Israeli authorities in the second round of a prisoner exchange deal between the Palestinian Resistance and "Israel", as part of the ceasefire agreement that ended the 15-month war on the Gaza Strip (Al Mayadeen)

Mohammad al-Arida, one of the heroes of Operation Freedom Tunnel, has finally snatched his freedom after years in Israeli occupation prisons.

Al-Arida was freed Saturday by Israeli authorities in the second round of the first phase of the prisoner exchange deal between the Palestinian Resistance and "Israel", as part of the ceasefire agreement that ended the 15-month war on the Gaza Strip.

Freed #Palestinian prisoner Mohammad al-Arida expressed his gratitude to #AlMayadeen and its Chairman of the Board of Directors Mr. Ghassan Ben Jeddou for their support for the Palestinian prisoners' cause.

Al-Arida is one of the members of Operation Freedom Tunnel, during which… pic.twitter.com/wrYEFsnGOv

— Al Mayadeen English (@MayadeenEnglish) January 25, 2025

Born on September 3, 1982, in Arraba, south of Jenin in the occupied West Bank, al-Arida completed his elementary, middle, and high school education in local schools.

On May 16, 2002, Israeli forces detained him after besieging a building where he had taken shelter in the city of Ramallah.

Related News

Iran defends regional policies, warns of escalating aggression in Gaza

Gaza flattened for pay, not need: IOF reward operators for each ruin

He was subsequently sentenced to three life terms plus 20 years, accused of being a member of the al-Quds Brigades, the military wing of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) movement, and participating in operations against Israeli forces.

Al-Arida was serving his sentence in the Israeli Shatta Prison, located in the occupied Jordan Valley near Beit She'an in the central West Bank; however, in 2014, after prison authorities discovered a tunnel intended for escape, he was placed in solitary confinement for a year.

However, al-Arida's quest for freedom did not end there. On September 6, 2021, his name resurfaced after he successfully broke out of Gilboa Prison in an operation dubbed Operation Freedom Tunnel, alongside fellow prisoners Mahmoud al-Arida, Zakaria al-Zubaidi, Ya'qoub Qadri, Ayham Kamamji, and Munadel Nafi'at.

On September 11 of the same year, Israeli forces rearrested al-Arida, putting him in isolation and subjecting him to harsh treatment. An Israeli court also handed him an additional five-year sentence.

Despite his struggle in captivity, al-Arida authored several works, including Fiqh of Jihad, The Influence of Sheikh Al-Ghazali on the Islamic Jihad Movement in Palestine, and the novel al-Rawahel.

On January 25, 2025, al-Arida was liberated and returned to Jenin, after the Resistance in Gaza fulfilled its promise of releasing prisoners and detainees following Operation Al-Aqsa Flood.

  • Gaza Strip
  • war on Gaza
  • Palestine
  • Operation Freedom Tunnel
  • Israel
  • Jenin
  • Mohammad al-Arida
  • Gaza

Most Read

Hezbollah SG reveals war details on Al Mayadeen for the first time

Hezbollah SG reveals war details on Al Mayadeen for the first time

  • Politics
  • 8 Jul 2025
Major ambush in Gaza kills 6 Israeli troops, injures dozens

Major ambush in Gaza kills 5 Israeli troops, injures 14

  • Politics
  • 8 Jul 2025
Israeli soldiers are seen in Beit Hanoun ahead of an operation by the al-Qassam Brigades, undated (Al-Qassam Brigades Military Media)

'Israel' on blast as media exposes report discrepancies in Gaza ambush

  • Palestine
  • 8 Jul 2025
Yemen Navy sinks ETERNITY C ship, shares footage of operation

Yemen Navy sinks ETERNITY C ship, shares footage of operation

  • Politics
  • 9 Jul 2025

Coverage

All
The Ummah's Martyrs

Read Next

All
The Freedom Flotilla ship Handala as it departs for Gaza, where it aims to break the maritime blockade at a port in Syracuse, Sicily in southern Italy on July 13, 2025. (AFP)
Palestine

Freedom Flotilla's Handala departs Sicily in bid to break Gaza siege

The container ship CMA CGM Laperouse, left, docks at the Georgia Ports Authority's Port of Savannah, Sept. 29, 2021, in Savannah, Ga (AP)
Politics

US shipbuilding woes deepen as tariffs, outdated policies backfire

Gaza war raises ethical questions for ex-Obama, Biden officials
Politics

Mercenary firm tied to Gaza war crimes hires Obama-Biden PR operatives

'Israel' targets children in Gaza collecting water
Palestine

'Israel' strikes Gaza kids fetching water, blames it on 'malfunction'

Al Mayadeen English

Al Mayadeen is an Arab Independent Media Satellite Channel.

All Rights Reserved

  • x
  • Privacy Policy
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Authors
Android
iOS