In the early hours of today, six men escaped from the high-security Gilboa Prison, where scores of Palestinians who have been found guilty; or are suspected, of executing anti-Israeli attacks are serving sentences. The center is located around 4km (2 miles) from the occupied West Bank.
Five of the six runaway prisoners belong to the Islamic Jihad movement; while the sixth – Zakaria Zubeidi – is a former commander of the Al-Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigades armed military group.
A passageway, only just large enough for a grown man to squeeze through; was found in the bathroom of the men’s cell and was also connected to the prison’s drainage system.
Another tunnel was discovered on a road on the south side of the facility, as shown by local media.
Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett expressed his condemnation at the jailbreak ahead of the Jewish new year; calling it a “grave incident” that required extensive surveillance.
The escape has prompted a massive manhunt in the surrounding areas of northern Israel and also the West Bank.
Drones; helicopters as well as checkpoints have been deployed by Tel Aviv’s armed forces and police to locate the prisoners.
Israeli officials expect that the escapees will attempt to make a run for Jordan or to Jenin; a Palestinian city in the northern West Bank.
A spokesperson for Islamist militant group Hamas, Fawzi Barhoum, hailed the escape as a “victory”.
The Al-Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigades carried out a string of deadly attacks against Israelis during the 2000-2005 Palestinian uprising.
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