Palestinian prisoners who broke out of a high-security Israeli jail this month began digging their escape tunnel in December, lawyers for two of the arrested escapees said on Wednesday.
Six inmates escaped from Gilboa Prison in northern Israel on September 6 after digging a tunnel under a sink in their cell and making their way to freedom.
Israeli security forces launched a large-scale hunt for the escapees in Israel and the occupied West Bank, and have since recaptured four of them.
Lawyers for two of those arrested, Mahmud Ardah and Yaqub Qadri, on Wednesday revealed details of their escape.
"Mahmud told me he started digging in December," his lawyer, Roslan Mahajana, told AFP after visiting him in detention.
Ardah claimed to be the architect of the escape, saying he used spoons, plates and the handle of a kettle to dig the tunnel from his jail cell.
"They started questioning him after his arrest because they believe he was the one who planned and implemented the operation," said the lawyer.
Qadri's lawyer gave a similar account of their escape.
"Mr Qadri told me that this process started on December 14 and that this is what he told the Israeli investigators," Hanane Khatib said.
Ms Khatib said her client "was very happy despite his arrest because he was able to wander around for five days".
She said the inmates had not planned to escape on September 6, but they rushed ahead with it because they feared guards had become suspicious.
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Ruwais timeline
1971 Abu Dhabi National Oil Company established
1980 Ruwais Housing Complex built, located 10 kilometres away from industrial plants
1982 120,000 bpd capacity Ruwais refinery complex officially inaugurated by the founder of the UAE Sheikh Zayed
1984 Second phase of Ruwais Housing Complex built. Today the 7,000-unit complex houses some 24,000 people.
1985 The refinery is expanded with the commissioning of a 27,000 b/d hydro cracker complex
2009 Plans announced to build $1.2 billion fertilizer plant in Ruwais, producing urea
2010 Adnoc awards $10bn contracts for expansion of Ruwais refinery, to double capacity from 415,000 bpd
2014 Ruwais 261-outlet shopping mall opens
2014 Production starts at newly expanded Ruwais refinery, providing jet fuel and diesel and allowing the UAE to be self-sufficient for petrol supplies
2014 Etihad Rail begins transportation of sulphur from Shah and Habshan to Ruwais for export
2017 Aldar Academies to operate Adnoc’s schools including in Ruwais from September. Eight schools operate in total within the housing complex.
2018 Adnoc announces plans to invest $3.1 billion on upgrading its Ruwais refinery
2018 NMC Healthcare selected to manage operations of Ruwais Hospital
2018 Adnoc announces new downstream strategy at event in Abu Dhabi on May 13
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When: Monday, October 22, 2pm start
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