Israeli authorities assert zero tolerance for terror, abuse, and prison intimidation through decisive security action.
The Israel Prison Service took decisive action Friday against terrorist Mahmoud Atallah, forcibly entering his cell and transferring him to solitary confinement following intelligence warnings that he was planning to incite unrest inside Israel’s security prisons.
The operation was ordered by Prison Service Commissioner Kobi Yaakobi, who instructed “immediate and severe preventive measures” to neutralize threats to prison stability. The move underscores Israel’s uncompromising stance against terror inmates attempting to exploit incarceration to continue hostile activity.
Atallah was excluded from recent prisoner exchange deals due to the gravity of his crimes, including sexual exploitation of Israeli female prison guards roughly a decade ago. Those crimes—committed under the shadow of terror intimidation—sparked national outrage after a former soldier publicly testified about being assaulted while serving as a guard at Gilboa Prison.
Her testimony triggered a renewed investigation that uncovered additional evidence and systemic failures within the facility’s command structure. Investigators found indications that female guards were transferred into the security wing at prisoners’ requests—an appalling breach of duty that enabled abuse under the guise of “maintaining order.”
Former Gilboa Prison commander Freddy Ben Shitrit described the scandal as a watershed moment, exposing severe harm inflicted on mandatory-service female guards and forcing long-overdue reforms.
As a result of the reopened probe, prosecutors moved—subject to hearings—to indict former commander Bassem Kashkush and former intelligence officer Rani Basha for fraud, breach of trust, and dereliction of duty. Atallah himself also faces indictment for offenses against three female guards.
Israel’s response sends a clear message: terror inmates will not intimidate the system, abuse will not be excused, and institutional failures will be confronted. Security, justice, and the dignity of those who serve are non-negotiable.
