RAMALLAH, Palestine

Six Palestinians on Monday managed to escape from Israel’s Gilboa prison after they tunneled out of the high-security prison.

Five of the prisoners belonged to the Islamic Jihad movement, and one was a former commander of the Fatah group.

Israeli media said that three of the escapees had previously attempted to escape from Israeli jails.

The six Palestinians were serving life sentences and all are from Jenin city in the northern West Bank.

Zakaria Zubeidi

Zubeidi, 49, from Jenin refugee camp, was a former commander of Fatah’s Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades.

In 2006, Zubeidi was elected a member of Fatah's Revolutionary Council. He was detained by Israeli forces in Ramallah on February 27, 2019, on accusations of being affiliated with the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades.

Zubeidi has not yet received a final sentence.

Munadel Yakub Nufey'at

Nufey’at, from Ya'bad town near Jenin city, was detained by Israeli forces in 2006 before being released in 2015.

He was rearrested in 2016 and again in 2020. He was accused of membership in Islamic Jihad’s armed wing and involvement in staging attacks against Israeli forces.

Nufey'at has not yet received a final sentence.

Yakub Mahmoud Qaderi

Yakub Qaderi, 39, from Bir al-Basha village, northwest of Jenin city. He has been hunted down by Israeli forces since 2000.

Qaderi took part in clashes with Israeli forces during an Israeli incursion into the Jenin refugee camp in 2002.

On October 18, 2003, he was detained and slapped with two life sentences.

In 2014, he along with other detainees attempted to escape from Shatta prison, but without success.

Eyhem Fuad Kemamji

Kemamji, 35, from Kafr Dan village near Jenin city, has been hunted down by Israeli forces since 2003.

He was detained on July 4, 2006, and slapped with two life sentences.

Mahmoud Abdullah el-Arida

Mahmoud el-Arida, 46, from Arraba town, southwest of Jenin city, was first detained in 1992 before being released in 1996.

He was detained again in September 1996 and slapped with a life sentence on accusations of being a member of the Islamic Jihad group's military wing and carrying out attacks against Israeli forces.

Mohammad Qasim el-Arida

Mohammad el-Arida, 39, from Arraba town, was arrested on January 7, 2002, before being released in March of the same year.

He was rearrested on May 16, 2002, in Ramallah city and slapped with three life sentences.

*Writing by Ahmed Asmar