and outside to extract this right.”Įven Abbas' Fatah party praised the escape, with an official Twitter account posting a picture of Zubeidi and hailing what it called the “freedom tunnel.” Hamas spokesman Fawzi Barhoum cast the escape similarly, saying it shows “that the struggle for freedom with the occupier is continuous and extended, inside prisons. “This is a great heroic act, which will cause a severe shock to the Israeli security system and will constitute a severe blow to the army and the entire system in Israel,” said Daoud Shehab, a spokesman for Islamic Jihad. Palestinian militant groups swiftly praised the breakout. Zubeidi was a prominent leader in the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade, an armed group affiliated with Fatah, during the second Palestinian uprising from 2000-2005.įour of the other prisoners had been serving life sentences, the prisoners' group said. They include Zakaria Zubeidi, 46, who has been detained since 2019. The Palestinian Prisoners' Club, which represents both former and current prisoners, identified the men as ranging in age from 26 to 49 years old. Israeli helicopters were seen flying over Jenin on Monday morning. The escapees were believed to have been headed for Jenin, about a 25 kilometer (15-mile) drive away, where the internationally recognized PA wields little control and where militants in recent weeks have openly clashed with Israeli forces. Police commander Shimon Ben Shabo said officials have reinforced emergency response call centers in the area to respond to any reports about the prisoners and there are “forces available to arrive at any location.” There were no instructions for people to alter their routines. He said he was receiving constant updates on the prison break, which occurred just hours before Israel was to mark the Jewish New Year. Israel's prime minister, Naftali Bennett, called it a “grave incident” that required maximum effort by Israel's various security branches. The radio said the prisoners escaped through a tunnel from the Gilboa prison, just north of the West Bank, which is supposed to be one of Israel's most secure facilities.Ī photo released by the prison service showed a narrow hole in the floor of a cell, and Israeli security forces could be seen examining a similar hole on a stretch of gravel just outside the walls of the prison. Israel's Army Radio said 400 prisoners are being moved as a protective measure against any additional escape attempts. Israeli officials said they have erected roadblocks and are conducting patrols in the area. There was no immediate comment from the PA, but President Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah party praised the escape. Efforts to capture the escapees will likely draw attention to the Palestinian Authority's security coordination with Israel, which is deeply unpopular among Palestinians. Palestinians consider prisoners held by Israel to be heroes of their national cause, and many celebrated the escape on social media. The prisoners appear to have gone into hiding and there was no indication Israeli authorities view them as an immediate threat. The escape marks an embarrassing security breach just ahead of the Jewish New Year, when Israelis flock to the north to enjoy beaches, campsites and the Sea of Galilee. At least four had been serving life sentences, with one of them detained since 1996.TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) - Israel launched a massive manhunt in the country's north and the occupied West Bank early Monday after six Palestinian prisoners tunneled out of their cell and escaped overnight from a high-security facility in an extremely rare breakout. The men on the run ranged from 26 to 49 years old, the Palestinian Prisoners Society said. The Gilboa prison, located about two miles from the West Bank, is one of the most heavily guarded in the country. It was not immediately clear if they had help from outside to orchestrate the escape. Prime Minister Naftali Bennett described the escape as a "grave incident." Arik Yaacov, chief of the Israeli Prisons Service, said an investigation was underway and that the six men appeared to have found a flaw in the facility rather than tunneled the entire way out, Israel National News reported. Security forces patrolled streets in the north of the country and the occupied West Bank, as helicopters flew above. Israeli police responded in large numbers, erecting roadblocks after the rare jailbreak from the Gilboa prison in northern Israel. A security official said the fugitives fled down a shaft beneath the bathroom floor and then sneaked through underground passages in the prison's foundation.
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