Gilboa prison escape still baffles Israeli security forces

Investigation revealed that the tunnel could have taken the inmates as long as five months to dig

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  Palestinians flash the "V" for victory sign as they celebrate the escape of six Palestinians from an Israeli prison, in the Jenin camp in the northern Israeli-occupied West Bank, on September 6, 2021. Six Palestinians broke out of a prison in northern Israel prison through a tunnel dug beneath a sink, triggering a massive manhunt for the group that includes a prominent ex-militant. AFP

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  Supporters of the Islamic Jihad movement distribute sweets to celebrate the escape of six Palestinians from an Israeli prison, in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip. Six Palestinians broke out of an Israeli prison through a tunnel dug beneath a sink, triggering a massive manhunt for the group that includes a prominent ex-militant. AFP

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  Palestinians celebrate the escape of the six Palestinian prisoners from the Israeli prison of Gilboa, in the West Bank city of Hebron. Six Palestinians managed escape from the Gilboa prison through a tunnel. EPA

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  Palestinians hold photos of Palestinian detainees as they celebrate the escape of the six Palestinian prisoners from the Israeli prison of Gilboa, in the West Bank city of Hebron. Six Palestinians managed escape from the Gilboa prison through a tunnel. Israeli security agencies launched a search operation for the prisoners including a former Fatah party leader in Jenin and five members of the Islamic Jihad movement who were serving life sentences. EPA

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  Palestinians hold photos of Palestinian detainees as they celebrate the escape of the six Palestinian prisoners from the Israeli prison of Gilboa, in the West Bank city of Hebron. Six Palestinians managed escape from the Gilboa prison through a tunnel. Israeli security agencies launched a search operation for the prisoners including a former Fatah party leader in Jenin and five members of the Islamic Jihad movement who were serving life sentences. EPA

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  Palestinians celebrate the escape of the six Palestinian prisoners from the Israeli prison of Gilboa, in the West Bank city of Hebron. Six Palestinians managed escape from the Gilboa prison through a tunnel. Israeli security agencies launched a search operation for the prisoners including a former Fatah party leader in Jenin and five members of the Islamic Jihad movement who were serving life sentences. EPA

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  Palestinians march to celebrate the escape of the six Palestinian prisoners from the Israeli prison of Gilboa, in the West Bank city of Hebron. Six Palestinians managed escape from the Gilboa prison through a tunnel. Israeli security agencies launched a search operation for the prisoners including a former Fatah party leader in Jenin and five members of the Islamic Jihad movement who were serving life sentences. EPA

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  Palestinians march to celebrate the escape of the six Palestinian prisoners from the Israeli prison of Gilboa, in the West Bank city of Hebron. Six Palestinians managed escape from the Gilboa prison through a tunnel. Israeli security agencies launched a search operation for the prisoners including a former Fatah party leader in Jenin and five members of the Islamic Jihad movement who were serving life sentences. EPA

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  People celebrate the escape of six Palestinian militants from an Israeli prison, in Hebron, in the Israeli-occupied West Bank. Reuters

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  Palestinians shout slogans as they celebrate the escape of six Palestinians from an Israeli prison, in the Jenin camp in the northern Israeli-occupied West Bank. Six Palestinians broke out of a prison in northern Israel prison through a tunnel dug beneath a sink, triggering a massive manhunt for the group that includes a prominent ex-militant. AFP

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  People celebrate the escape of six Palestinian militants from an Israeli prison, in Hebron, in the Israeli-occupied West Bank. Reuters

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  A Palestinian man distributes sweets to celebrate the escape of six Palestinians from an Israeli prison, in Gaza Strip. - Six Palestinians broke out of an Israeli prison through a tunnel dug beneath a sink, triggering a massive manhunt for the group that includes a prominent ex-militant. AFP

Israeli authorities on Tuesday were short on answers as to how six Palestinian prisoners' escaped from a high-security jail unnoticed and where they could have gone, with a huge manhunt still under way.

The group's early morning flight, through a hole made below a sink in a Gilboa prison cell to a tiny tunnel exit discovered by guards and police early on Monday morning has made the escapees heroes to many Palestinians, who celebrated in the Jenin area of the occupied West Bank.

But the full weight of Israel's security arsenal is being harnessed to catch them, including aerial drones, checkpoints on roads and an army mission to Jenin, where many of the men locked up for their roles in attacks on Israel grew up.

The search continued as the country was celebrating Rosh Hashana – the Jewish new year – on Tuesday, more than 24 hours after the “Great Escape” hailed by some Palestinian newspapers.

“We have made no progress at present,” said a spokesman for police in northern Israel, where the Gilboa prison has stood since its construction during the Second Intifada, or uprising, against Israel.

“But all branches of the security forces have been mobilised to find the prisoners, whether it's the army, the Shin Bet [internal security service], the police, border guards, and their special units,” the spokesman said.

An Israeli injunction is in effect against publishing details of the investigation, even as local media report on the scramble to recover from the embarrassing slip-up and prevent any possible attack by the fugitives.

A journalist for the Maariv newspaper said that constructing the tunnel could have taken the inmates as long as five months, according to elements from the investigation.

There are many possible destinations for the escapees, from their nearby West Bank home to the shelter of the Gaza Strip, ruled by Islamist group Hamas and a refuge for the Islamic Jihad group to which five of the six belong.

News quite a shock

They could even have tried to cross the border to another country altogether.

It was “very probable” that the men crossed into Jordan, whose frontier lies about 20 kilometres from the prison, a police source told Israeli daily Haaretz on Tuesday.

The paper also reported that a car may have picked up some or all of the escapees three kilometres from the prison on Monday.

Abo Al Athir Kamamji, father of escapee Ayham Kamamji, told AFP that an Israeli security official summoned him on Monday.

“I was asked what my son and I said to each other on my last visit” to prison, he said. Mr Kamamji said that he learnt of his son's escape from television reports and social media.

“The first news was quite a shock. I hope God will protect him, and that he stays alive for a long time,” he said.

Another fugitive is Zakaria Zubeidi, the former head of the Jenin branch of the Al Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades and a well-known figure to Palestinians and Israelis.

His father Kamal told AFP the family was “very happy” at his escape.

“But at the same time we fear for the life of Zakaria and the young men with him,” he said. “So far the news is good and I hope they all stay safe and sound.”

One branch of Israel's investigation into the escape is how it succeeded without the prison guards noticing a thing.

Public broadcaster Kan reported that the men were visible on surveillance cameras as they wriggled out of the tunnel exit – but no one was monitoring the screens at the time.

A guard in charge of that sector of the prison may even have been asleep on duty, Kan said.