Two Palestinian fugitives are still at large. These are the questions troubling Israeli security forces

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Even after the capture of four of the six security prisoners, who escaped last week from the Gilboa Prison, a number of questions still remain unanswered – especially where are the two remaining escapees: Iham Kamamji and Monadal Infiat.

At this stage, the Israel Police and Shin Bet think that one has entered the northern West Bank and the other is hiding somewhere in the Lower Galilee. The main fear is that the arrest of one of them in Jenin will lead to a violent confrontation with armed Palestinians in the city.

Another question troubling security forces is whether the six received any help from people outside the prison. No evidence pointing to this possibility has been found thus far. According to current intelligence, after the six prisoners escaped, their next steps were random and unplanned. They brought no water or food, nor basic equipment and supplies. Security forces believe the fugitives asked passersby for food and rides, but were refused in most cases.

Investigators are also examining whether prison guards had a hand in the escape. The national unit for investigating prison service employees is looking into this, alongside the national serious crimes unit in the police’s Lahav 422. So far, over 20 prison officers have been questioned, but no evidence has been found of any such cooperation on the part of the guards.

Security forces are also trying to understand why Fatah prisoner Zakaria Zubeidi, who was recaptured over the weekend, was placed with the five prisoners from Islamic Jihad. At first, security officials thought the five wanted to get help from Zubeidi because of his connections outside the prison, and that one of his collaborators helped the group escape.

Palestinian prisoner Iham Kamamji.Palestinian prisoner Monadal Infiat.

Now they believe it is more likely that the six did not receive outside aid, making Zubeidi’s role in the plan murkier. One possibility is that the Islamic Jihad members included him because he, like them, lives in Jenin, which fostered a sense of brotherhood among them. Another possibility is that the other five thought that Zubeidi could help them reach Jenin.

As for the fugitives’ intended destination, it now seems as if they wanted to reach Jenin, but changed their plan when they realized that Israel had mobilized a large presence in the area.

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Police at the scene of the prison break at Gilboa Prison, Monday.Gil Eliahu

It is also unknown for how long they were planning the escape. Security officials estimate that digging the tunnel took at least six months, but how the prisoners uncovered the empty space beneath their cell is still unclear. Why they chose to escape on Monday, how they dug under the noses of the prison guards, and whether other prisoners or people on the outside knew of the escape in advance, are also shrouded in mystery.

How the prisoners got by outside the prison before they were recaptured is also under investigation. Officials have relatively detailed information on the route that four of the six took, but it is still not completely clear what they did along the way.

At first, the police though that after three kilometers, the point at which their trail was lost, they got into a vehicle that was waiting for them. The police now say the six continued on foot and later decided to split up.