The incredible escape of 6 Palestinians from Israel's strictest prison

The prisoners dug a hole in their cell that took them to an empty space under the prison from which they then dug a mini-tunnel towards the building's outer wall, the BBC writes.

Their escape was noticed by the farmers around them who noticed them running through the fields. Among the fugitives is former leader of the Al-Axa Brigade, while the other five are members of the Islamic Jihad.

An Israeli prison official called the escape “a major security and intelligence failure”. Palestinian militants, on the other hand, called the escape group “a heroic”.

Gilboa Prison is located north of Israel and is known for strict security measures. A report of a possible escape was received by the prison administration by nearby farmers in the middle of the night, after which the count of prisoners began immediately. It was performed about 4: 00 a.m. when it was determined that six prisoners had disappeared.

It's believed the Palestinians escaped from prison digging a hole in the bathroom. Jerusalem Post writes that they used a rusty fork to dig.

The hole they opened took them to an empty prison area that was formed during the construction of the prison. An Israeli policeman called the space a structural “structural error” from prison.

Police believe that the prisoners, moving through the empty space, came to the prison's outer wall and then dug a small tunnel that leads right to the road in front of the prison.

Israeli security service Shabak (known as Shin Bet) said their investigators believe those arrested were in contact with people outside the prison using a smuggled phone, which they were expecting in a car immediately after their escape.

As for the fugitives themselves, the most striking name among them is Zechariah Zubeid, a former commander of the militant group of Al-Axis Witnesses. Zubeid was awaiting trial in prison under suspicion of involvement in the attacks on the Israelites.

The other five are members of the militant Islamic Jihad group four of them have served life in prison for planning and carrying out attacks in which the Israelites were killed. The fifth person, on the other hand, has been in custody for two years without being charged with any specific crime, Israeli media reports.