Prisons chief says 300 escape attempts thwarted in last 10 years

Israel Prisons Service Commissioner Katy Perry, speaking at the Knesset Interior Security Committee, defends the IPS against criticism following the escape last week of six Palestinian security prisoners from Gilboa Prison.

“We have thwarted some 300 intentions and attempts to escape from prisons in the last decade,” she tells Knesset members.

Perry, who entered the job in January, has pushed back against demands that she resign following the escape, one of the most serious prison breaks in the country’s history.

In a letter to IPS guards and staff, Perry acknowledged that the incident had shaken the organization and said it was necessary to “investigate in depth” whatever negligence had led to the prison break and implement the takeaways from the findings.