September 6, 2024

Statement on the 3rd Anniversary of the Gilboa Prison Break

Three years ago, on September 6th 2021, the world awoke to stunning news: 6  Palestinian political prisoners had liberated themselves from the  maximum-security Gilboa prison.

Mahmoud al-Ardah, Mohammed  al-Ardah, Yaqoub Qadri, Ayham Kamamji, Munadil Nafa’at and Zakaria  Zubaidi, the masterminds behind the Freedom Tunnel Operation, broke out of what was once considered the most secure prison in occupied Palestine using only their bare hands and spoons. Despite a manhunt across hundreds of square miles by thousands of occupation soldiers, the Freedom Tunnel 6 managed to move freely for days, praying in their mosques and enjoying the fruits of their land. Their self-liberation paralyzed the Zionist entity for days, exposing the weakness of its security apparatus.

The Gilboa prison break marked a significant victory in the Palestinian prisoner movement and the broader liberation struggle. It not only showcased the steadfastness and resilience of Palestinian  prisoners—it also helped to reinvigorate our people and our movement for liberation, with people taking to the streets all over the world, carrying symbolic spoons to demonstrate their solidarity. The heroes’ self-liberation demonstrated the ingenuity of Palestinian prisoners, and it taught our people the value of collective organizing, even from behind bars.

Today, as over 10,000 Palestinian prisoners endure extreme forms of torture, including starvation, medical neglect, and physical and psychological abuse by the Zionist occupation, we recall the words of Mahmoud Al-Ardah, the revolutionary mind behind the Freedom  Tunnel Operation: “We wanted to tell the world that this monster is  nothing but an illusion made of dust.”

On this anniversary of the Freedom Tunnel 6’s achievement, we reaffirm that liberation of all Palestinian political prisoners is a non-negotiable demand of our movement, and that Palestinian prisoners will continue to guide us forward as the compass of our struggle, until full liberation and return.