Escape of Six Palestinian Prisoners from High-Security Israeli Prison

Israeli police stated that six Palestinians escaped from a high-security prison on Monday, and Israeli media reported that they are members of armed groups. Reports indicate that five of the inmates are affiliated with the Islamic Jihad movement, while the sixth was a former leader of an armed group linked to Fatah. According to radio reports, the six were in the same cell and dug a tunnel out of Gilboa prison in northern Israel, prompting security forces to launch a search operation. Police spokesman Eli Levy told Kan public radio, "We received a number of reports during the night about suspects in agricultural fields, and the prison service quickly discovered the disappearance of prisoners from their cells and that six had escaped." He added that security forces are searching for these men and believe they might attempt to reach the West Bank. Israeli media reports mentioned that one of the escaped prisoners, Zakaria Zbeidi, is a former leader in the Al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades, associated with Fatah in the city of Jenin in the West Bank.