A group of Palestinian prisoners serving life sentences in a remote Israeli prison managed to escape over the weekend in what appears to be the biggest jailbreak in modern Israeli history, prompting the IDF to launch a massive manhunt on Monday.
The manhunt was launched in northern Israel and parts of the West Bank after six Palestinian militants, all of whom were convicted of working with terror organizations (or the armed wings of certain Palestinian political organizations), with five of the fugitives belonging to the Islamic Jihad movement andthe sixth is a former commander of an armed group affiliated with the mainstream Fatah party, according to Reuters.
The men escaped from Gilboa prison in northern Israel. Four of the six were serving life sentences. Arik Yaacov, the service's northern commander, said the escapees appeared to have opened a hole from their cell toilet floor allowing them to access passages formed by the prison's construction.
The facility, situated about 4 km from the boundary with the occupied West Bank, is one of the most high-security jails in Israel. It holds Palestinians convicted, or suspected, of helping anti-Israeli organizations, including planning deadly attacks.
Officials say they have erected roadblocks and are conducting patrols in the area, while Israel’s Army Radio reports that 400 prisoners are being moved as a preventive measure against any additional escape attempts. The radio said the prisoners escaped through a tunnel from the Gilboa prison, which is supposed to be one of Israel’s most secure facilities. The men reportedly appeared to have received some outside help.
Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett called it a "grave incident" that will require maximum effort by Israel’s various security branches.
The...