Although they were later recaptured, the prison break shook Israelis and thrilled Palestinians. Israelis saw Mr. Zubeidi’s escape as a chilling security breach with the potential to incite further violence. Many Palestinians called it a temporary victory against Israel’s mass incarceration of Palestinians.
An Israeli drone strike killed Mr. Zubeidi’s son, Mohammad, in September. The Israeli military called the son a “significant terrorist” and said he had been involved in shooting at Israeli troops.
Other militants convicted of involvement in deadly attacks against Israelis were also among the Palestinians being released on Thursday.
One was Sami Jaradat, 56, who was serving multiple life sentences for involvement in a deadly 2003 suicide bombing that targeted a restaurant in Haifa, on the Israeli coast. Palestinian Islamic Jihad, a militant group, claimed responsibility for the attack.
At least 21 people were killed in the bombing, according to the Israeli authorities, including women, children and a one-year-old girl.
Mr. Jaradat, like many Palestinian detainees involved in the deadliest attacks against Israelis, will not be allowed to return to his home near Jenin. Under the terms of the deal, he will be expelled to either the Gaza Strip or another country like Egypt.
Unlike Mr. Jaradat, Mr. Zubeidi is expected to remain in the West Bank.
On Thursday, Mr. Zubeidi’s wife, Alaa, 39, stood with her sisters and friends in Ramallah, in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, dressed in black, to wait for him to be released from prison.
She said she had been in mourning since her son Mohammad’s death, visiting his grave daily until mid-December, when Palestinian security forces began operating in the Jenin refugee camp.
Fatima AbdulKarim contributed reporting.