The government commission of inquiry into the escape of security prisoners from Gilboa Prison will submit its report on Wednesday, May 17, 2023, at 16:00 in Modi'in. The report will be submitted to the Minister of National Security, MK Itamar Ben-Gvir.
Israel Hayom has learned that this is a "harsh report" that will strongly criticize the organization's leadership, headed by IPS Commissioner Rabbi Gunder Katy Perry, deputy commissioner, commander of the northern district of the IPS and commander of Gilboa Prison, who was fired.
Great embarrassment
The escape of the security prisoners from Gilboa Prison took place in the early morning hours of September 6, 2021, when four security prisoners sentenced to life imprisonment and two other security detainees escaped from Gilboa Prison through an escape tunnel. The escape caused great embarrassment inside and outside the organization.
Zakaria Zubeidi. Tried to escape from Gilboa Prison and was captured at the end of a famous manhunt (archive), photo: Reuters
The incident ended after four of the prisoners were captured in Israel about four days after the escape, and two were captured in Jenin two weeks later after extensive searches.
Warning letters
In March last year, after hearing countless testimonies and evidence, the commission of inquiry, headed by retired judge Menachem Finkelstein, decided to warn IPS Commissioner Cpl. Kathy Perry, her deputy, Gonder Moni Bitan, who also serves as commander of the Security and Operations Division, Northern District commander Gonder Arik Yaakov, and Deputy Commander Freddy Ben Shitrit, commander of Gilboa Prison.
The alleged deficiencies underlying the decision to send four warning letters were failures in intelligence, security, and operations, the transfer of security prisoners between cells and wings without any supervision or supervision, and serious malfunctions in various aspects of command.
The four were given the opportunity to argue their arguments at the end of hearing testimonies and before the committee members convened to decide on their case.
The organization's leadership will be strongly and harshly criticized. IPS Commissioner, Rabbi Gunder Kathy Perry (Archive), Photo: Jonathan Shaul
Escape
As stated, the escape was made through a tunnel dug in the shower cubicle in wing 2, cell number 5. The examination committee found that no one had inspected the cell in accordance with the prison's procedures and instructions. Moreover, about two months before the escape, one of the guards noticed a fracture in the pavement that hid the tunnel shaft, but even this sign did not arouse the curiosity of the prison staff.
It also turned out that the day before the escape, Zakaria Zubeidi was transferred at his request to cell 5, contrary to the IPS's security procedures to separate prisoners affiliated with different organizations. It also turned out that the watchtower overlooking the escape shaft was not manned and the prison's warning systems were not working. Even a guard who sat in the control center and was supposed to watch the cameras documenting their escape in real time did not recognize anything.
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