Israeli police capture four of the six Palestinians who escaped from Gilboa prison

Israel recaptured on Saturday two more of the six Palestinians who escaped from a maximum-security prison this week, leaving two prisoners at large.

The prisoners caught included Zakaria Zubeidi, a well-known militant leader from the second Palestinian uprising in the early 2000s, AP reported, citing Israeli media. Photos showed Zubeidi and another unidentified man sitting on the ground, blindfolded and handcuffed. Armed Israeli soldiers in civilian uniforms posed behind.

There were no immediate details regarding where the latest two escapees had been caught. It came hours after Israeli police said they had caught another two of the six Palestinians whose daring escape captured the country’s attention.

Shortly afterwards, Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip fired a rocket toward Israel that Israeli military said was intercepted. No Palestinian group claimed responsibility for the rocket attack, which is believed to be linked to the re-arrest.

On Friday night, police said the first two were caught in the Arab-majority city of Nazareth in northern Israel.

The announcement identified them as Mahmoud Aradeh and Yakub Kadari – members of the Islamic Jihad militant group who were both serving life sentences. They showed no resistance. Israeli media reports said a civilian alerted police to two suspicious figures.

A video circulating on social media showed Israeli police shackling a man from his feet into the backseat of a police vehicle and asking the suspect for his name.

The man, wearing jeans and a green T-shirt, calmly identifies himself as Kadari and answers “yes” when asked whether he is one of the escapees. Kadari was serving two life sentences for attempted murder and bomb planting.

The six Palestinians tunneled out of the Gilboa prison on Monday, setting off a furious manhunt across Israel and the West Bank.

For the Palestinians, the fugitives were “heroes” who succeeded in freeing themselves from multiple life sentences. Fighting against Israel and taking part in attacks against the Israeli military or even civilians is a source of pride for many.

In the Gaza Strip, as well as in the West Bank, Palestinians had organised sit-ins and joyful gatherings to celebrate the prison break.

The escapees included four members of the militant group Islamic Jihad who were serving life sentences, Zubeidi, and one other. All of the prisoners are from the nearby city of Jenin in the occupied West Bank.

As soon as the news about the capture of the two fugitives was confirmed Friday, a flurry of bitter posts expressing disappointment and shock filled the Palestinian social media sphere.

There was no immediate reaction from the Palestinian Authority, but Abdeltaif al-Qanou, a spokesman for the Gaza-ruling Hamas movement, said despite the re-arrest, the prisoners have “scored a victory and harmed the prestige of the Israeli security system”.

The escape has exposed major flaws in Israel’s prison service and set off days of angry criticism and finger-pointing. It has also increased tension between Israel and the Palestinians.

On Friday, Hamas had called for “a day of rage” to protest the Israeli crackdown against imprisoned Palestinians, but the day passed without a major confrontation. But in Jerusalem, a Palestinian suspected attacker died shortly after being wounded by Israeli police gunfire in the town’s Old City, where he had reportedly tried to stab officers.