THE GILBOA SIX
Six Men. One Tunnel. A Symbol of Freedom.
BENEATH THE WALLS
On September 6, 2021, six Palestinian prisoners escaped from Israel’s maximum-security Gilboa Prison through a tunnel secretly excavated beneath their cell.
They had worked for months with improvised tools. According to Mahmoud Abdullah al-Ardah’s account, relayed by his lawyer, these included spoons, plates, and a kettle handle.
The escape triggered a massive Israeli manhunt and was celebrated by many Palestinians as an act of resistance. All six were eventually recaptured, but their story continued to resonate throughout Palestine.
SIX NAMES.
ONE HISTORY.
- Mahmoud Abdullah al-Ardah
- Mohammad Qassem al-Ardah
- Zakaria Zubeidi
- Yaqoub Mahmoud Qadri
- Ayham Nayef Kamamji
- Munadel Yaqoub Nafe’at
A SYMBOL
OF FREEDOM
Following the escape, the ordinary spoon became an internationally recognized symbol of Palestinian resistance.
Reports that the prisoners had used spoons to help excavate their tunnel inspired demonstrations, murals, sculptures, and artwork throughout Palestine and beyond.
For those who embraced the symbol, the spoon represented determination, ingenuity, and the enduring desire for freedom despite imprisonment.
Its significance extended beyond the six prisoners, becoming a symbol of solidarity with Palestinians held in Israeli prisons.
THE WALLS HELD THEM AGAIN.THE SYMBOL LIVED ON.
Sources
- Six Palestinian prisoners break out of Gilboa prisonWAFA · September 6, 2021
- Spoons become a new symbol of Palestinian resistanceAl Jazeera · September 19, 2021
- Israel formally charges six recaptured Palestinian prisonersAl Jazeera · October 3, 2021
- “Spoon of Freedom”: Escape tool becomes symbol of resistanceThe Jordan Times · September 12, 2021