Israeli security forces arrest last two escaped Palestinian prisoners in Jenin

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) announced that security officials have apprehended the last two of six Palestinian convicts who escaped from Israel's Gilbo'a prison. "In a joint operation with the ISA, @IsraelPolice and the IDF, the remaining 2 terrorists who escaped from “Gilbo’a Prison” were captured. Both terrorists surrendered after being surrounded by security forces that acted precisely based on accurate intelligence.," the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) posted an update on Twitter.

On the nights of September 18 and 19, the convicts were apprehended in Jenin's eastern area. They were identified as Nayef Kamamji and Munadel Yacoub Infeiat by an Israeli police spokesperson. According to the Palestinian Prisoners Club, Kamamji, 35, was arrested in 2006 and serving a life sentence, while Infeiat, 26, was arrested in 2019. 

The six detainees escaped digging a tunnel

At the beginning of September, six Palestinian detainees escaped from the Gilbo'a high-security prison in northern Israel, which is less than 6 km (3.7 miles) from the West Bank. Zakaria Zubeidi, a leader of the Al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades, a coalition of Palestinian armed factions recognised as a terrorist organisation in Israel, was among the fugitives. The detainees escaped by digging a tunnel from their cell into the prison's drainage system. At the end of last week, Zubeidi and three other detainees were arrested.

A week ago, the four inmates were apprehended in pairs near Nazareth, an Arab city in northern Israel. All six have been convicted of plotting or carrying out fatal attacks against Israelis or are suspected of doing so. Residents reported that Palestinians in Jenin battled with Israeli troops as they raided the city early September 19. After being surrounded by Israeli forces, Kamamji and Infeiat surrendered, and two other Palestinians were arrested for supporting them, ANI reported quoting local media.

The ongoing conflict between Israel & Palestine

This comes amid ongoing clashes in the West Bank between Palestinians and Israeli soldiers. Over 40 Palestinians were injured in skirmishes on September 17, according to the Palestinian Red Crescent. According to the IDF, Palestinians threw rocks and bombs at Israeli troops and opened fire as they left the city. The rioting was sparked by the construction of a new Israeli settlement in Beita, near Nablus, in May.

The Palestinian Authority, which has limited self-rule in the West Bank and collaborates with Israel on security issues, did not respond immediately. Protests in solidarity with the men have taken place across the West Bank and East Jerusalem. Protests by Israel's Arab minority, many of whom identify as Palestinians, have also taken place in support of the men, with more planned for later on September 19. In the West Bank, Gaza, and East Jerusalem, which Israel occupied in the 1967 Middle East conflict, Palestinians regard members of armed groups imprisoned by Israel as heroes in the struggle for independence. They are considered terrorists in Israel. 

(With inputs from ANI)

Image: PTI