Al-Qassam Website - Today marks the second anniversary of the heroic prison break carried out by six Palestinian detainees. They courageously dug a tunnel beneath a maximum-security prison, securing their freedom for a brief period.

The six Palestinian detainees identified as Mahmoud Al-Ardah, Muhammad Al-Ardah, Ayham Kammji, Yaqoub Qadri, Zakaria Al-Zubaidi, and Munadil Enfe'at have successfully broken out of the high-security occupation jail of Gilboa.

Palestinians across occupied Palestine and in the diaspora enthusiastically celebrated this operation, later referred to as the 'Tunnel of Freedom' mission, even though they were kidnapped by Israeli occupation forces within a fortnight.

It took these six Palestinian detainees nine months to painstakingly build the tunnel within the infamous prison's drainage system. They initiated this incredible endeavour by utilising a piece of iron obtained from a small cupboard in their cell, years ago. Subsequently, they spent 20 days digging the tunnel's entrance, followed by removing an additional iron plate beneath it.

One of the detainees assumed the responsibility of excavating through 15 centimetres of concrete, while the others provided cover. They continued their work, covering a distance of 30 meters, with the primary challenge being the disposal of excess sand.

"At first, we would discreetly dispose of the sand in the toilet and the shower. Later, we established a small chamber for the sand," explained Mahmoud Al-Arida, the mastermind behind this daring prison break. "We improvised sandbags using clothing. Our hard toil continued until we glimpsed sunlight without the bars. It was then that we knew we had succeeded."

Approximately two weeks later, the Israeli occupation forces rekidnapped the six Palestinian escapees, following a massive manhunt initiated immediately after their jailbreak.

This operation served as a significant setback for the Israeli occupation's prison service, which failed to detect the detainees' escape, thereby dealing a blow to its "security" apparatus.

Upon the re-detention of the six detainees, the Ezzedeen Al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of the Hamas movement, pledged to secure their release in any future prisoner exchange agreement with the Israeli occupation.

Abu Obaida, the spokesperson for Al-Qassam, declared, "The jailers themselves will open the cell doors for them {the six detainees}, and they will leave the cells with their heads held high, under a new agreement."

He emphasized that "it has been decided that any future prisoner swap deal will hinge on the liberation of these heroes {Gilboa prison breakers}."