Israel released prisoner Fuad Al-Shobaki (83 years old), the oldest Palestinian prisoner, today, Monday. He is known as the "Sheikh of Prisoners." His release took place from Ashkelon Prison in central Israel, and he arrived via an ambulance at the Tarqumiyah crossing west of Hebron, where he was welcomed by his family, activists, and Palestinian officials.
Al-Shobaki was responsible for the central military finance administration within the Palestinian security services and accompanied the late Palestinian President Yasser Arafat during his travels in various Arab countries. He returned to Palestine in 1995. Throughout his years of incarceration, he was associated with multiple titles, notably: Sheikh of Prisoners and Captain of the Prisoners' Ship. He is seen as a father figure and a source of advice and life experience for the prisoners. During his 17 years of imprisonment, he lost his wife in 2011, saw four of his six children get married, and now has nine grandchildren whom he has not seen in his lifetime.
He was born on March 12, 1940, in the Gaza neighborhood of Al-Tuffah and holds a bachelor's degree in accounting from Cairo University. He is considered the oldest prisoner in Israeli jails and suffers from chronic health issues. In recent years, he has relied on his fellow inmates to meet his needs.
He is a Palestinian politician and military figure with the rank of Major General and a member of the Fatah movement. He had been responsible for the central military finance administration in the Palestinian security services and was involved with Fatah as it moved to Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, and Tunisia.
On January 3, 2002, the Israeli army conducted a military operation called "Noah's Ark," aiming to stop and seize the "Karin A" ship in the Red Sea, claiming it carried military equipment for the Palestinians. Al-Shobaki was accused of being directly responsible and was considered the mastermind behind the funding and smuggling of the weapons ship.
