The details of some of these agreements have remained etched in the minds of many now elderly people: they remember Laila Khaled, who tried to hijack an Israeli plane, and they remember the “Nawras” operation, in which dozens of Palestinian detainees were released. in exchange for the release of an Israeli soldier and many other operations and agreements.
Below are some of the most notable events that have led to exchange agreements between Palestinians and Israelis since the occupation of the West Bank, Gaza Strip and East Jerusalem in 1967:
Hijacking of El Al plane
In July 1968, the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine hijacked an Israeli El Al airliner, flight no. 426. There were approximately 100 passengers on board the Boeing 707, including a number of Israelis, as it was en route from the airport. From Heathrow in London to Leonardo da Vinci Airport in Rome, then to Lod Airport in Israel (currently Ben Gurion Airport).
The plane was hijacked in flight and diverted to Algeria.
Subsequently, the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine released the hostages and Israel freed 37 Palestinian women with serious sentences through the mediation of the International Red Cross.
Laila Khaled
After the success of the first hijacking, the “Popular Front” repeated the same experience in August 1969 and initially succeeded in hijacking an American TWA airliner, flight no. 840, headed from Los Angeles to Tel Aviv.
As the plane was flying over the Mediterranean Sea near Greece, Palestinian Leila Khaled, a member of the Popular Front, burst into the cockpit, took the pilot’s earpiece and turned to the control tower, saying: “ Here is the flight of the Popular Front plane… Palestine is free and Arab”, and ordered the commander to head to Palestine. .
After entering Israeli airspace, Israeli fighters moved and surrounded the plane, so the hijackers decided to direct it towards the Syrian capital, Damascus.
The Popular Front managed to free several detainees from Israeli prisons, including two Syrian pilots who had been forced to make an emergency landing in Israel the previous year due to a navigation error.
Despite this agreement, the Syrian authorities arrested Laila Khaled, only to release her several months later: she went to Jordan and from there to Germany, where she underwent facial plastic surgery to avoid being identified. Another El Al plane was diverted to a flight there. between Amsterdam and New York in September 1970, and the operation ended with her re-arrest.
The Popular Front decided to free Laila Khaled and planned another plane hijacking, but this time it was a British citizen, which they succeeded and took the plane to Lebanon, which ultimately led to the release of Laila Khaled.
Agreement with Shmuel Fayez
In 1969, the Fatah movement managed to kidnap the Israeli soldier Shmuel Fayez, and after negotiations lasting about two years, the movement reached an exchange agreement with Israel, implemented in January 1971, under which Israel released the Palestinian Mahmoud Hijazi and launched the “Fatah” movement, which released the Israeli soldier.
“Nawras” Agreement.
In April 1978, the General Command of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine managed to capture Israeli soldier Abraham Amram in an operation called “Operation Litani”.
The Palestine Liberation Organization, then led by Yasser Arafat, began negotiations with the Israeli side. Conducting an exchange that ultimately led to the launch of an agreement called the “Seagull Agreement” in January 1979, under which the Popular Front – General Command released the Israeli soldier and Israel released 76 Palestinian prisoners.
Mossad spy
Almost a year later, in February 1980, the Red Cross intervened to reach an exchange agreement between Israel and the Fatah movement, which called for the release of the Palestinian Mahdi Bseiso.
At the time, Fatah was detaining a Jordanian girl named Amina Al-Mufti, who said she was a spy for the Israeli Mossad. After intense negotiations through the Red Cross, Fatah released the girl and Israel released Bseiso.
The main exchange
In November 1983, Fatah managed to conclude an exchange agreement that it considered a “great treasure” at the time, in which Israel released 4,700 Palestinians and Lebanese who were in the “Ansar” prison, which Israel had built in southern Lebanon during the ‘occupation. Dozens of other Israeli prisoners were released. In exchange, Fatah released 6 Israeli soldiers who had been captured in September 1982.
The Popular Front and Operation Galilee
The “Popular Front” once again managed to kidnap three Israeli soldiers, believing it had a “precious prey” in its hands. Negotiations were entered into with the Israeli side to complete an exchange agreement which was effectively concluded in May 1985, at which time Israel released 1,155 Arab prisoners.
Assassination attempt against Khaled Mashal
In 1997, Jordanian security discovered that Khaled Meshal, then head of the political bureau of the Hamas movement, had been the victim of a poisoning attempt on Jordanian soil. Jordanian security managed to arrest the Israeli Mossad members participating in the operation.
A media uproar arose and Jordan refused to release the Mossad members without paying a price.
Jordan forced Israel to send the antidote to save Meshaal’s life, and Hamas spiritual leader Ahmed Yassin was also released from Israeli prisons.
Shalit Agreement
In June 2006, Hamas managed to kidnap Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit on the border with the Gaza Strip. At the time, Hamas promised it had “precious prey”.
Despite the war launched by Israel on the Gaza Strip at the time, he failed to reach Shalit’s place of detention and was forced to enter into exchange negotiations with Hamas which lasted 5 years. Ultimately, the movement released Shalit in exchange for 1,027 Palestinian prisoners, and Hamas called the deal “Loyalty of Freedom.”