ARARA: An Arab citizen of the Zionist entity jailed for killing a Zionist soldier was released on Thursday after serving 40 years, officials said, with the Zionist entity warning it would not tolerate celebrations glorifying "terror". Maher Younis was released from Beersheba prison shortly after dawn, the Palestinian Prisoners Club said.

Younis was convicted in 1983 of the 1980 murder of Zionist soldier Avraham Bromberg near Hadera, on his way home from the occupied Golan Heights. His death sentence was commuted to a 40-year jail term. Hundreds gathered outside Younis' family home in the northern village of Arara as the 62-year-old returned home, with a young woman in tears as she placed a garland of flowers around Younis' neck.

The celebrations took place despite warnings from Zionist National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir that police would intervene if Palestinian flags or chants supporting Younis took place. Though there were no Palestinian flags visible, Younis was defiant. "The authorities are trying to spoil the celebration," Younis told reporters. "The Palestinian flag is in our hearts and the homeland is in our minds. It is just an issue of appearances."

Younis is a member of the Zionist entity's Arab minority, many of whom identify as Palestinians. "After 40 years of captivity, his health is good and his nerves are solid," his brother Nader Younis said. His release comes two weeks after his cousin Karim Younis was freed after serving the same prison time for the same offence. When Karim was released, he said he was "proud" of his actions, and was welcomed by hundreds of celebrating supporters waving Palestinian flags.

The scenes sparked a backlash in the Zionist entity, and several high-ranking Palestinian officials from Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah party had their Zionist entry permits revoked after attending the celebrations, sparking a diplomatic crisis. Ben-Gvir's office said the minister had "instructed police to act firmly and with determination against the phenomena of terror and support for terror we saw the other week" during Karim's homecoming.

Meanwhile, Zionist troops killed two Palestinians Thursday in the flashpoint West Bank city of Jenin, the Palestinian health ministry said. The ministry said Jawad Farid Bawaqna was killed by a bullet to the chest, while Adham Mohammed Bassem Jabareen, 28, was hit in the upper abdomen by Zionist fire.

The Islamic Jihad militant group said Jabareen was a member. Bawaqna was a sports teacher and youth leader in Jenin refugee camp, the province's deputy governor said. There were conflicting reports on Bawaqna's age, with the health ministry saying he was 57, and the Palestinian official news agency Wafa reporting he was 58.

Farid Bawaqna, Jawad's son, said his father was shot dead while trying to move Jabareen's body. "My father called me from the top of the house, and told me to 'get down, there is a young man who was martyred at the door of the house, come so we can drag him,'" he told AFP. "We went down together, and pulled him... We dragged him about four to five meters and a bullet entered my father's body".

The deaths raise the number of Palestinians killed in the occupied West Bank this month to 17, according to an AFP tally. The majority were killed by Zionist forces. At least 200 Palestinians were killed across the Zionist entity and the Palestinian territories last year, according to AFP figures. The majority of deaths were in the West Bank, although the toll also includes 49 Palestinians killed in a three-day conflict in Gaza. - AFP