Female prison guards at Gilboa prison appealed to Defense Minister Israel Katz through their lawyer that the terrorist Mahmoud Atallah, who had sexually assaulted them while imprisoned, be deported upon his release as a result of the hostage, ceasefire deal, army radio reported Saturday.

They stated that in the published lists of the prisoners set to be free, Atallah is defined as a defendant in crimes against state security and murder, but "the fact that he is on trial as a sex offender who raped and attacked female IDF soldiers was omitted," and request that he not be released to his home in Nablus, which is what is indicated in the lists.

Atallah was indicted in September 2023 for the rape of a female prison guard in the “prison pimping” case. He was also serving a life sentence plus 15 years for murdering a Palestinian woman accused of collaborating with Israel.

Atallah's other crimes

The statement also noted that during his imprisonment, "Atallah had explicitly threatened a guard who had also been raped by him" and made abhorrent statements such as "I will haunt you for the rest of my life" and that he "would be released and take her to Nablus."
View of a drill for prison guards at the Israeli Prison Authorities, Gilboa Prison, near Israel Valley. December 5, 2022. (credit: AVSHALOM SASSONI/FLASH90)
View of a drill for prison guards at the Israeli Prison Authorities, Gilboa Prison, near Israel Valley. December 5, 2022. (credit: AVSHALOM SASSONI/FLASH90)
For another of Atallah's victims, the guards' appeal wrote that "It is clearly stated that Atallah terrorized her and threatened her family members." 

Unopposed to a hostage deal

The prison guards' statement also emphasized in their appeal that they do not oppose a hostage deal.

"I don't need to explain the panic that grips the guards," Maariv quoted the guards' lawyer, Attorney Keren Barak, as saying. "There can be no dispute that you're releasing a dangerous prisoner who made explicit and specific threats against the guards. It's impossible for you to return him to Nablus, so close to the border of Israel.

"I would ask that the terrorist who threatens to 'settle the score' with the prison guards and is, therefore, a 'ticking bomb' be among terrorists who will be deported," she concluded.

Moshe Cohen contributed to this report.