GAZA CITY/AMMAN: Happiness reigned in public squares in the Gaza Strip, which saw the distribution of sweets and rejoicing at what people described as “extracting freedom” following the success of six prisoners in escaping a heavily fortified Israeli prison.
While Palestinians in Gaza took to the streets spontaneously, the organization of many gatherings and distribution of sweets came from the Islamic Jihad, to which five of the six prisoners belong. The sixth inmate belongs to Fatah.
A member of Islamic Jihad’s political bureau, Walid Al-Qutati, said the process of escaping from Gilboa was very complicated and required experts to explain how the operation took place.
“The operation will constitute an epic and legend in the history of the Palestinian national struggle,” he added.
There were celebrations in the streets, with some banners that read: “The second great escape from the prisons of the Zionist enemy.” Others bore the names of the prisoners who had succeeded in “extracting their freedom.”
The prisoner issue is considered one of the complexes in the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, and official estimates indicate that more than a million Palestinians have been imprisoned since June 1967.
About 5,000 Palestinians are still languishing behind bars under conditions described by Palestinian organizations as “inhumane.”
Observers described the escape of prisoners as “exactly similar to what is happening in the movies,” given that Gilboa was described in Israel as “the safe prison” because of its tight procedures to prevent any escape attempt.
According to the Addameer Foundation for Prisoner Care and Human Rights, Gilboa is in the Beit She’an area of northern Israel. It was established under the supervision of Irish experts and opened in 2004.
Addameer added: “The prison is of a very high security nature, and is described as the most guarded prison, in which Israel holds Palestinian prisoners, accusing them of being responsible for carrying out offensive operations targeting Israelis.”
Military expert and former major general, Wassef Erekat, told Arab News: “The escape operation represents a victory for the Palestinian will. Rather, it is a miracle added to the achievements of the prisoners in the occupation prisons, who are inventing means to penetrate the security system that Israel boasts about.”
Erekat said the success of the six prisoners would encourage other inmates to think more about taking their freedom into their own hands in light of Israeli intransigence in terms of liberating them, whether through political negotiations or as part of an exchange deal.
Writer Ahmed Abu Zuhri did not rule out that Palestinian factions would “surprise the occupation” with similar operations, whether inside or outside prisons.
“The enemy realizes that there are six free time bombs on the loose, and the six prisoners may resort to surprising the enemy with commando operations instead of disappearing, as they realize that Israel will not stop searching for them and liquidating them,” he told Arab News.
Mahdi Abdulhadi, founder and chairman of the Jerusalem-based Palestinian Academic Society for the Study of International Affairs, said that Palestinians met each other as martyrs, prisoners, or escapees.
“The resistance reflects a people who want a life with dignity and these six have shown what national resistance is all about,” he told Arab News. “There is widespread happiness and a feeling of the ability of Palestinians to challenge their jailers. This is the time of defeating the culture of fear and depending on self-reliance while Israel is trying to uphold the status quo policy.”
A retired Jordanian Air Force general, Maamoun Abu Nawwar, said the escape completed the action that had begun with the 11-day battle between Israel and the Gaza Strip. “This is an act of resistance by a people who are opposed to injustice,” he told Arab News.
Former Palestinian Cabinet Minister, Ziad Abu Zayyad said the escape of Palestinian war prisoners should remind everyone that as long as there were wars and armed conflict there would be “prisoner fighters” deprived of their freedom.
“Wars and occupation should come to their end. Palestinian prisoners will never be broken until their people achieve their right for peace, security, and freedom in their independent state of Palestine.”
Hazem Ayyad a columnist for Assabeel newspaper, said the success of the six inmates was a “major victory” for the Palestinian resistance and shattered the “supposedly air-tight” Israeli security model.
Ayyad said the escape came at a time when the Palestinian Authority in Ramallah was losing popularity and Hamas was involved in prisoner exchange negotiations. Israeli daily Haaretz said that the escape was a security and intelligence failure.
Adham Manasra, a broadcaster at Raya FM in Ramallah, said a former Gilboa inmate had told the radio show that restrictions were extremely harsh at the prison. “The caller said that escaping from Gilboa is like a miracle.”
The former prisoner had said inmates were checked three times a day and were not even allowed to take a metal spoon to their room.
Manasra told Arab News that people were happy, but that some worried the escape would lead to greater Israeli repression of prisoners and the collective punishment of Palestinians.
Palestinians elated about prison breakout from Israeli security jail
https://arab.news/c6dn8
Palestinians elated about prison breakout from Israeli security jail
- Observers described the escape of prisoners as ‘exactly similar to what is happening in the movies’
UN urges Security Council to pressure Houthis for peace and release of detainees
- With Yemen’s economy in free fall and millions in need amid a worsening humanitarian crisis, they say time is running out to turn ‘hope into progress’
- A year after dozens of UN and other humanitarian workers were arbitrarily arrested, the UN’s envoy for Yemen says: ‘Their continued imprisonment is shameful’
NEW YORK CITY: Top UN officials on Wednesday warned the Security Council that there is a risk the fragile situation in Yemen could rapidly deteriorate, as they called for both intensified diplomatic efforts and increased humanitarian funding to stave off further instability and ease human suffering.
With Yemen’s economy in free fall and millions in need, they said time is running out to turn “hope into progress.”
The UN’s special envoy for Yemen, Hans Grundberg, and deputy emergency relief coordinator, Joyce Msuya, also highlighted the ongoing detention of UN workers and employees of nongovernmental organizations by the Houthis, a year after dozens were arbitrarily arrested.
“Their continued imprisonment is shameful,” said Grundberg. “I call again, in the strongest terms, for their immediate and unconditional release.”
Msuya echoed this condemnation, saying: “Twenty-three UN staff remain detained. I join the special envoy and the (UN) secretary-general in calling for their immediate release.”
The detentions, some dating back as far as 2021, have cast a long shadow over ongoing diplomatic efforts to reach a comprehensive peace agreement in Yemen, where multiple front lines remain active in the civil war and recent regional escalations have complicated a fragile status quo.
The Houthis, the official name for whom is Ansar Allah, have launched missile attacks on Israel in recent weeks, including one that targeted Ben Gurion Airport. Israel in turn struck Houthi-controlled infrastructure, including the destruction of a civilian aircraft at Sanaa International Airport. Grundberg warned that such escalations directly harm ordinary citizens.
“Yemenis living in Ansar Allah-controlled areas are unable to fly commercially from Sanaa Airport to seek medical treatment abroad, to travel for Hajj or visit their families,” he said.
He described the reopening of the airport in May 2022 as a key peace dividend of a now-lapsed truce agreement that year.
Meanwhile, the humanitarian crisis in Yemen continues to deepen. Msuya described a deteriorating health and food-security situation affecting millions.
“Over 17 million people, or nearly half of Yemen’s population, are acutely hungry,” she told council members.
“Malnutrition affects 1.3 million pregnant and breastfeeding women and 2.3 million children under 5. Without sustained humanitarian support, an estimated 6 million more people could end up in emergency levels of food insecurity.”
Despite the challenges, Msuya noted some progress has been made, including the reopening of a key route between Aden and Sanaa via Al-Dhalea, which had been closed for nearly seven years.
“This development … shows that Yemen is not on a fixed, downhill trajectory,” she said. “With trust and the right tools, there remains hope.”
Grundberg also pointed to this development as a positive sign.
“I commend, again, the local facilitators across the front lines who worked to make this happen,” he said. “Yemen’s economy is in dire need of positive and trust-building steps such as these.”
However, the path forward in the country remains uncertain. Grundberg reported increased tensions around Marib, and troop movements in several governorates, warning that “conditions can change rapidly and unpredictably.”
Both officials reiterated that a long-term solution will require a political settlement and increased support from regional authorities.
Grundberg said he has held talks with the Yemeni government, the Houthis, and regional authorities including Saudi Arabia, Iran and Oman, and noted that there is a shared view that only negotiation can end the conflict.
He urged council members to “use your powerful voices, your diplomatic channels and your influence, to exert maximum pressure” on the Houthis both in the pursuit of peace and to secure the release of detainees.
Msuya concluded her remarks with three direct appeals: “Take the lead of the Senior Officials Meeting in May and follow up with scaled-up, flexible funding; take real action to see that UN and other detained colleagues are released…; (and) maintain your unified support for efforts toward lasting peace.”
Jordanian authorities arrest three individuals attempting to enter country
- Jordan has consistently faced challenges related to illegal infiltration and smuggling, particularly of narcotics
- Jordan shares a border of 482 km with Israel and a border of 375 km with Syria
LONDON: Jordanian authorities announced that they thwarted an infiltration attempt on Thursday along the country’s extensive borders.
The Northern Military Zone, which is responsible for monitoring the borders with Syria and Israel, announced on Thursday that three individuals were detected attempting to cross the border illegally before being arrested. They have been handed over to the relevant authorities for further investigation.
The Jordanian Armed Forces announced its commitment to preventing all forms of infiltration and smuggling, ensuring the security and stability of the Kingdom, according to the Petra news agency.
Jordan shares a border of 482 km with Israel and a border of 375 km with Syria. The country has consistently faced challenges related to illegal infiltration and smuggling, particularly of narcotics, using both traditional methods and new techniques, such as drones.
Last week, the Northern Military Zone thwarted an infiltration attempt by four individuals who were attempting to illegally cross the border into Jordan from the north.
Egypt’s foreign minister discusses Iran nuclear negotiations, Gaza with US envoy
- Badr Abdelatty says US-Iran negotiations are an important opportunity to achieve calm in the region
- Oman to host sixth round of negotiations between Iran and the US on Sunday
LONDON: Badr Abdelatty, Egypt’s minister of foreign affairs, emphasized the need to persist in negotiations between the US and Iran over Tehran’s nuclear program during a phone call with Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff.
Abdelatty said the negotiations are an important opportunity to achieve calm, avoid escalation, and prevent the region from sliding into greater instability, WAM, the Emirates News Agency, reported.
Oman will host the sixth round of negotiations between Iran and the US on Sunday, Oman’s foreign minister said on Thursday.
Abdelatty and Witkoff, the US president’s special envoy for the Middle East, on Thursday addressed Egyptian and US efforts to reach a ceasefire agreement in the Gaza Strip. They discussed the release of Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners, as well as the flow of humanitarian aid into the Palestinian coastal enclave, according to WAM.
The Egyptian foreign minister highlighted the need for a lasting resolution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict that meets the region’s aspirations for peace and stability.
France’s Macron praises Palestinian president’s ‘genuine willingness’ for peace
- Mahmoud Abbas’ commitment to elections and reforms welcomed
- Comments come ahead of 2-state conference in New York next week
LONDON: France’s President Emmanuel Macron on Thursday praised Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas’ “concrete and unprecedented commitments” after receiving a letter from the latter ahead of the UN-backed Saudi-French conference on a two-state solution in Palestine.
In his letter on Monday, which was addressed to Macron and Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Abbas outlined the main steps to be taken to end the war on Gaza.
He called for the demilitarization of Hamas, the release of hostages, a ceasefire in Gaza and deployment of international forces to protect “the Palestinian people,” while reaffirming his commitment to reforms and elections.
Abbas also demanded an end to “the occupation and conflict once and for all” and halting settler activities.
In a post on X, Macron described the letter as “a decisive moment, praising the Palestinian leader for charting “a course toward a horizon of peace.”
I received a letter of hope, courage, and clarity.
— Emmanuel Macron (@EmmanuelMacron) June 12, 2025
The President of the Palestinian Authority, Mahmoud Abbas, charts a course toward a horizon of peace.
A condemnation of terrorism, the release of hostages, the demilitarization of Hamas, an end to the war in Gaza,… pic.twitter.com/zQ2ZgEOQ5k
“Concrete and unprecedented commitments that demonstrate a genuine willingness to move forward,” said Macron.
France and Saudi Arabia will co-chair the high-level International Conference for the Peaceful Settlement of the Palestinian Question and the Implementation of the Two-State Solution in New York next week.
The conference at the UN’s headquarters aims to achieve concrete steps toward the two-state solution.
In his letter, Abbas stressed the Palestinian Authority’s commitment to presidential and general elections within a year across the Occupied Territories — including East Jerusalem — under international supervision.
“The Palestinian people are entitled to live in freedom and dignity in their homeland. Palestine and Israel are entitled to exist as states, in peace and security, in conformity with international law,” Abbas wrote in his letter.
Reaffirming his commitment to the two-state solution, he said: “We are ready to conclude within a clear and binding timeline, and with international support, supervision and guarantees, a peace agreement that ends the Israeli occupation and resolves all outstanding and final status issues.”
Iraq reports 19 Congo fever deaths already this year
- Congo fever is a viral disease which is transmitted to people either by tick bites or through contact with infected animal blood or tissues during or immediately after slaughter
Baghdad: Iraq said Thursday it has recorded 19 deaths from Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever already this year and urged farmers and abattoir workers to step up precautions when handling livestock.
A total of 123 cases have been recorded nationwide, health ministry spokesman Saif Al-Badr said in a statement, adding that 36 of them were reported in the poor southern province of Dhi Qar, which is heavily dependent on livestock farming.
Congo fever is a viral disease which is transmitted to people either by tick bites or through contact with infected animal blood or tissues during or immediately after slaughter, according to the World Health Organization.
It has a fatality rate of between 10 and 40 percent, and most cases have been reported in the livestock industry.
A previous surge in infections in Iraq in 2022 saw at least 27 deaths, compared with just six cases for the two decades from 1989 to 2009.
The WHO attributed that flare-up to a rise in the tick population resulting from the failure to carry out pesticide spraying campaigns in 2020 and 2021.
