The History Guy Website The Israeli-Palestinian Battles and Military Campaigns—(1964-Present): As shown in the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict page, the historical and religious animosity between Israel and the Palestinians runs deep. After the formation of the Palestine Liberation Organization, and under the leadership of Yasser Arafat, Palestinian guerilla/commando/terrorist groups began a series of organized and increasingly violent attacks on Israel itself and on Israeli targets around the world. Israel responded in various ways, including commando raids of their own, assassinations of PLO leaders and operatives around the world, and, at times, full-scale invasions of neighboring countries which gave the PLO aid and sanctuary. The 1960s --December 26, 1968 --two Palestinian gunmen traveled from Beirut to Athens, and attacked an El Al jet and killed one. On December 28,1968, Israel troops landed in Beirut, Lebanon and destroyed 13 civilian aircraft at Beirut International Airport. The 1970s --May 8, 1970: Three Palestinian gunmen crossed the Lebanese border into the agricultural community of Avivim and ambushed the local school bus, killing nine children and three adults, and wounding 19 other children. --September 4, 1972: Munich Olympic's Massacre--Members of "Black September," a PLO offshoot, attacked the Israeli Olympic team in their dormitory at the 1972 Munich Olympic Games in Germany. As a result of the hostage-taking and the bungled attempt by the Germans to rescue the prisoners, eleven Israeli athletes and one German policman were killed. This attack prompted Israel to launch "Operation Wrath of God" and "Operation Spring of Youth." See below for details. --Beginning in the Fall of 1972: Israel's launched "Operation Wrath of God" to track down and kill members of the PLO involved in the Munich attack. This operation continued for several years and resulted in the assassinations of several members of the PLO around the world. --March 1, 1973: Eight members of Black September took over the Saudi Arabian embassy in Khartoum, Sudan. Among the hostages were two American diplomats, Ambassador Cleo Noel, and Deputy Ambassador George Curtis Moore. Both Americans and Belgian diplomat, Guy Eid were killed. --April 9-10, 1973:Israel's "Operation Spring of Youth" was launched as part of the Israel's overall response to the Munich Olympic Attack. Special units of the Israeli Defense Forces attacked several PLO targets in Beirut and Sidon, Lebanon. In this operation, three of the PLO leaders (Yusef Al Najjar, Kamal Adwan and Kamal Nasserin), were killed, along with several dozen other PLO personnel. Several Lebanese security people and civilians were also died in this operation. Israel suffered two casualties in this attack. -- April 11, 1974: three guerillas of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), infiltrated the Israeli settlement of Kiryat Shmona from Lebanon, killing eighteen residents of an apartment building, including nine children. The attackers died in battle with Israeli troops. --May 15, 1974: Fighters of the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine (DFLP) entered the Israeli border town of Ma'alot from Lebanon, killed five adults and seizing hostages in a school building. All of the attackers died in battle with Israeli forces, but not before they killed 21 of the school's students. --June 27-July 4, 1976: "Operation Entebbe": On June 27, an Air France flight from Tel Aviv was hijacked by four terrorists, two from the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine — External Operations (PFLP-EO) and two from the German terrorst group, "Revolutionäre Zellen." The plane eventually ended up at Entebbe Airport in Uganda, which was then ruled by dictator Idi Amin. Amin was friendly to the Palestinian cause, and aided the terrorists. Once on the ground, three more Palestininans joined the hijackers. Demands were made for the release of prisoners held by Israel. Israel responded with a commando raid on the night of July3/July 4. Around 100 Israeli troops in four military transport planes landed at night and rescued the hostages. As a result of the rescue operation,100 of the 103 hostages were freed. Three hostages died. One Israeli soldier died, while 45 Ugandan soldiers were killed eleven Ugandan Army Air Force fighter planes were destroyed on the ground to prevent them from following the Israeli air planes carrying the rescued hostages and the troops. --March 5,1975: A force of eight PLO fighters sailed from to Tel Aviv by sea from Lebanon. Once inside Israel, they entered the Savoy Hotel, and took dozens of hostages. In the ensuing battle for the hotel, seven of the eight Palestinians and three Israeli troops died, while eight civilians were killed and 19 wounded. -- March 11, 1978: Eight Fatah guerillas entered Israel from Lebanon. After killing an American tourist on the beach, the guerillas hijacked a bus on the coastal road near Haifa. In the ensuing bus chase and battle, six Palestinian guerillas and 35 of the passengers died. Seventy-One civilians were wounded. Israel's response to this "Coastal Road Massacre" was to launch a full-scale invasion of South Lebanon in order to root out the PLO forces based there. -- March 14, 1978: Israel launched Operation Litani,a full-scale invasion of South Lebanon with 25,000 troops in an effort to force the PLO away from Israel's vulnerable northern border The 1980s --July 27, 1980: Attack on Jewish school in Antwerp, Belgium by terrorists associated with the Palestinian Abu Nidal. --July 27, 1980: Abu Nidal claimed responsibility for the murder of an Israeli commercial attachee in Brussels, Belgium. --May 1, 1981: Assassination of Heinz Nittel in Vienna, Austria by Abu Nidal's forces. Nittel was President of the Austrian-Israeli Friendship Association. --June 3, 1982: Attempted assassination in London of Israeli Ambassador to the United Kingdom, Shlomo Argov. Israel accused the PLO of the attack, and the Argov attack was one of the incidents which provoked the Israeli invasion of Lebanon on June 6, 1982 called "Operation Peace in Galilee. Argov survived the attack, but was permanently disabled. --September 25, 1985: Three Israeli civilians were killed on their yacht off the coast of Larnaca, Cyprus by commandoes of al-Fatah's elite "Force 17." --Oct. 1, 1985: Israel's "Operation Wooden Leg," attempted to kill PLO Chairman Yasser Arafat with an air raid on his headquarters in Tunis, Tunisia. Arafat survived, though at least 60 members of the PLO died. Israel said this attack was in response to the yacht attack off Larnaca, Cyprus. --Oct. 7, 1985: The hijacking of the passenger cruise ship Achille Lauro. Members of the Palestine Liberation Front (PLF), led by Abu Abbas, killed Jewish American tourist Leon Klinghoffer. After several days, the hijackers agreed to a deal in which they would release the ship in return for a flight to Tunisia. The Egyptian airliner carrying the hijackers was intercepted by U.S. Navy fighter planes on Oct. 10 and forced it to land at a military base in Italy, where the terrorists were arrested by Italian authorities. --December 27, 1985: Rome/Vienna Airport Attacks--Abu Nidal's Fatah - the Revolutionary Council (FRC) staged two attacks in Europe which killed 18 civilians and wounded 140. The terrorists attacked passengers at airports in Rome and Vienna. The FRC claimed these attacks were in response to the October 1st Israeli air raid on Tunis.

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Citation Please cite this source when appropriate: Lee, R. "The History Guy: The Israeli-Palestinian Battles and Campaigns (1964-Present)" http://www.historyguy.com/israeli-palestinian_battles.html

Outside Links Nakba--Recounts al-Nakba (Arabic for "The Cataclysm") in which large portions of the Palestinian population fled Palestine during the 1948-1949 Arab-Israeli War. Fateh Online--English language version of the al-Fatah movement's website. BBC NEWS | In Depth | Israel and the Palestinians --Objective information from the BBC. The Electronic Intifada --Official website of the Palestinian National Authority. Middle East 101 --Click on "Sticking Points" for a succinct rundown of the issues from both sides, courtesy of the Christian Science Monitor. Mideast: Centuries of Conflict --CNN's In-Depth Special makes a good starting point for background information and news. Go to "Maps: Occupied lands" for a helpful clickable map of the disputed regions. PREDECESSOR: (Related conflicts and events that occurred before) The Great Arab Uprising (1936-1938)   CONCURRENT: (Related conflicts occurring at the same time) 1948 Arab-Israeli War (1948-1949) Suez/Sinai War (1956) 1967 Arab-Israeli War (1967) War of Attrition (1968-1970) 1973 Arab-Israeli War (1968-1970) Jordanian Civil War (1970-1971) Lebanese Civil War (1975-1992) Israeli Invasion & Occupation of South Lebanon (1982-2000) Second Persian Gulf War/Operation Desert Storm (1990-1991) Third Persian Gulf War/ Iraq War (2003-Present)   SUCCESSOR: (Related conflicts that occur later) None yet Israel, the West Bank and Gaza Strip are at the center of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Map from the CIA World Factbook-Israel http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/is.html