Mahmoud Abdullah Ali Aridah

A senior leader of the Islamic Jihad prisoners in prison, and commander of the escape from Gilboa Prison in 2021. Arrested in 1992 for his involvement in the Second Intifada and served 41 months in prison until released as part of the Oslo Accords. In 1996, less than a year after his release, he was arrested again and sentenced to life imprisonment plus 15 years for his membership in the Palestinian Islamic Jihad and his participation in terrorist activities that led to the deaths of soldiers. In 2014, he was involved in an attempted prison escape using a tunnel. He was released on October 13, 2025, after 29 years in prison, as part of the deal to free the living hostages from the Gaza Strip. According to the terms of the deal, he was permanently expelled from the West Bank.