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Massive manhunt underway after 6 Palestinians escape Israeli prison

Israel Prisoners Escape
Posted at 7:08 PM, Sep 06, 2021
and last updated 2021-09-06 19:08:00-04

After six Palestinian prisoners escaped out of a high-security Israeli prison Monday by tunneling out, a massive search is underway.

According to the Washington Post, five of the prisoners are members of the militant group Islamic Jihad, while the sixth prisoner is a commander in the militant wing of Fatah.

The Associated Press reported that the prisoners escaped from the Gilboa Prison, and the escape is considered an embarrassing security breach, which Prime Minister Naftali Bennett called a "grave incident."

According to the AP, Israeli security forces set up roadblocks and moved 400 prisoners as a precaution.

The AP reported that the most known escapee is Zakaria Zubeidi.

According to the AP, four of the five Jihad members were serving life sentences.