(Flash90)
prisoner escape

All escapees were captured alive in three separate incidents, including a Special Forces operation in the Palestinian Authority city of Jenin.

By TPS

Five inmates from the Gilboa Prison cooperated and assisted in the escape of six terrorists earlier this month, the Shin Bet, Israe’s Security Agency, has learned.

Senior Fatah terrorist Zakariya Zubeidi and five Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) members — Ayham Kamamji, Munadal Infi’at, Yaqub Qaderi, Muhammad Qassem Ardah and Mahmoud Abdullah Ardah — escaped from the maximum-security Gilboa Prison. All escapees were captured alive in three separate incidents, including a Special Forces operation in the Palestinian Authority city of Jenin.

Five inmates acted as lookouts while the PIJ security prisoners dug their way out of the sewer system running beneath their shower, which took over several months to complete. A day before the escape, prison authorities granted Zubeidi‘s request to move into the cell. He escaped with the others.

The five collaborators chose not to join the escape, Hebrew media reported, as they were due to complete their sentences in a short while. However, that is likely to change as they will now be charged with aiding and abetting the escape.

The police stated Tuesday that it concluded its probe into the jailbreak after it “worked in close investigative and operational cooperation with the security organizations, which led to the capture of the six prisoners after about two weeks.”

The prosecutor filed a statement at the Magistrate’s Court in Nazareth on Tuesday regarding the six escaped prisoners as well as the five other prisoners suspected of aiding them.

United with Israel contributed to this report.