Israeli media: 4 Palestinian escapees captured, 2 at large

JERUSALEM – Israeli media reports accidental 2 much of the six Palestinian who broke retired of a maximum-security situation this week person been arrested astatine dawn Saturday, leaving 2 prisoners astatine large.

The prisoners captured included Zakaria Zubeidi, a well-known militant person from the 2nd Palestinian uprising successful the aboriginal 2000s. Photos showed Zubeidi and different unidentified antheral sitting connected the ground, blindfolded and handcuffed. Armed Israeli soldiers successful civilian uniforms posed down them.

There were nary contiguous details wherever the latest 2 escapees had been caught. It came hours aft Israeli constabulary said they had caught 2 of the six Palestinians whose daring flight has captured the country’s attention.

Shortly afterward, Palestinian militants successful the Gaza Strip fired a rocket toward Israel that the Israeli subject said was intercepted by aerial defenses. No Palestinian radical claimed work for the rocket attack, which is believed to beryllium linked to the re-arrest.

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On Friday night, constabulary said the archetypal 2 were caught successful the Arab-majority metropolis of Nazareth successful bluish Israel. The announcement identified them arsenic Mahmoud Aradeh and Yakub Kadari — members of the Islamic Jihad militant radical who were some serving beingness sentences. They showed nary resistance. Israeli media reports said a civilian alerted constabulary to 2 suspicious figures.

A video circulating connected societal media showed Israeli constabulary shackling a antheral from his feet into the backseat of a constabulary conveyance and asking the fishy for his name. The man, wearing jeans and greenish T-shirt, calmly identifies himself arsenic Kadari and answers “yes” erstwhile asked whether helium is 1 of the escapees. Kadari was serving 2 beingness sentences for attempted execution and weaponry planting.

The six Palestinians tunneled retired of the Gilboa situation connected Monday, mounting disconnected a furious manhunt crossed Israel and successful the West Bank.

For the Palestinians, the fugitives were “heroes” who succeeded successful freeing themselves from aggregate beingness sentences. Fighting against Israel and taking portion successful attacks against the Israeli subject oregon adjacent civilians is simply a root of pridefulness for many.

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In the Gaza Strip arsenic good arsenic successful the West Bank, Palestinians had organized sit-ins and joyful gatherings to observe the situation break.

They escapees included 4 members of the militant radical Islamic Jihad who were serving beingness sentences arsenic good Zubeidi. All of the prisoners are from the adjacent metropolis of Jenin successful the occupied West Bank.

As soon arsenic the quality astir the seizure of the 2 fugitives was confirmed Friday, a flurry of bitter posts expressing disappointment and daze filled the Palestinian societal media sphere. There was nary contiguous absorption from the Palestinian Authority, but Abdeltaif al-Qanou, a spokesperson for the Gaza-ruling Hamas movement, said contempt the re-arrest, the prisoners person “scored a triumph and harmed the prestige of the Israeli information system.”

The flight has exposed large flaws successful Israel’s situation work and acceptable disconnected days of aggravated disapproval and digit pointing. It has besides accrued hostility betwixt Israel and the Palestinians.

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Earlier Friday, Hamas had called for “a time of rage” to protestation Israeli crackdown against imprisoned Palestinians, but the time passed without large confrontation. But successful Jerusalem, a Palestinian suspected attacker died soon aft being wounded by Israeli constabulary gunfire successful the town’s Old City, wherever helium had reportedly tried to stab officers.

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