“Operation Wrath of God” targeted more than a dozen suspects across Europe and the Middle East.
New Delhi:
During the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich, Germany, 11 Israeli athletes were killed by members of the Palestinian terrorist organization Black September. In response, Israeli Prime Minister Golda Meir secretly ordered Mossad, Israel’s elite intelligence agency, to locate and eliminate those responsible for the massacre.
Over the next seven years, a covert campaign known as “Operation Wrath of God” targeted and murdered more than a dozen suspects across Europe and the Middle East. This clandestine operation, involving a specially trained strike team known as a ‘kidon’ (bayonet in Hebrew), has been the subject of numerous books and documentaries and is the central theme of Steven Spielberg’s film “Munich”.
The Munich Massacre
On September 5, 1972, eight members of Black September infiltrated the Munich Olympic Village. Armed with AK-47s, they took 11 Israeli athletes and coaches hostage, killing two in the initial attack. Terrorists demanded the release of 234 prisoners from Israeli prisons. The standoff lasted hours, during which German authorities attempted negotiations. The terrorists then moved to an airfield, where they were informed that two Bell UH-1 military helicopters would take them to Cairo. A failed rescue attempt by German police resulted in the deaths of all remaining hostages, one German police officer, and five of the terrorists.
Operation Wrath of God
In the aftermath of the Munich massacre, Prime Minister Golda Meir, together with Mossad chief Zvi Zamir and counter-terrorism advisor Aharon Yariv, devised a plan to eliminate the leadership of Black September and other related terrorist groups. This clandestine mission involved carrying out assassinations on foreign soil, which had enormous political and ethical implications. The Israeli leadership believed that decisive action was needed to prevent future attacks and bring justice to the victims of Munich.
Planning the Operation
A special Mossad unit, known as ‘kidon’, was tasked with carrying out the murders. This unit was made up of highly trained assassins, skilled in various forms of combat and covert operations.
The hit list included key figures believed to be responsible for planning and executing the Munich attack, as well as other high-ranking members of Black September and the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO). The objective was to “crush the serpent’s head”, eliminating its leadership.
The Murders
Over the next few years, Mossad agents carried out a series of high-profile assassinations across Europe and the Middle East. Some of the more notable operations include:
1. Wael Zwaiter
The first target was Wael Zwaiter, a Palestinian poet and translator living in Rome. The Mossad believed he was the head of Black September in Italy and was involved in the Munich attack. On October 16, 1972, two Mossad agents ambushed Zwaiter in the lobby of his building and shot him 11 times. However, it later emerged that the intelligence on Zwaiter was uncorroborated and his connection to the Munich massacre was questionable.
2. Mahmoud Hamshari
Mahmoud Hamshari, the PLO representative in France, was another important target. Mossad agents followed him to his apartment in Paris and, posing as journalists, managed to plant a bomb in his phone. On December 8, 1972, they detonated the bomb, killing Hamshari.
3. Hussein Al Bashir
Hussein Al Bashir, a PLO agent based in Cyprus, was the next target. On January 24, 1973, Mossad agents planted a bomb under his bed in a hotel in Nicosia. The explosion killed Bashir instantly.
4. Operation Beirut
One of the most daring operations took place in Beirut on April 10, 1973. Mossad agents, along with Israeli commandos from the elite Sayeret Matkal unit, infiltrated Beirut disguised as women. The operation targeted three key figures: Mohammed Youssef al-Najjar, Kamal Adwan and Kamal Nasser. The hit squad, including Ehud Barak, who later became Prime Minister of Israel, managed to reach their targets’ homes and eliminate them.
5. Ali Hassan Salameh
Ali Hassan Salameh, known as the “Red Prince,” was one of the Mossad’s most elusive targets. Salameh was Black September’s chief of operations and a close associate of former PLO chief Yasser Arafat. After a failed attempt in Norway, where he mistakenly killed an innocent Moroccan waiter named Ahmed Bouchikhi, the Mossad intensified its efforts to locate Salameh. The discovery occurred in 1979, when a secret agent, who was friends with Salameh and his wife, provided information. On January 22, 1979, Salameh was killed by a car bomb in Beirut.
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