PFLP-GC Headquarters Raid (1988)

PFLP-GC Headquarters Raid (1988)
Part of the South Lebanon conflict (1985–2000)
Date8–9 December 1988 (1988-12-08 – 1988-12-09)
Location
Naameh, Lebanon
Result Israeli failure
Belligerents
 Israel IDF mixed force from different Golani Brigade units and Shayetet 13 naval commandos State of Palestine PFLP-GC
Commanders and leaders
Israel Gen. Doron Rubin State of Palestine Ahmad Jibril
Casualties and losses
1 killed
3 wounded		 8-20 killed[1]

The PFLP-GC Headquarters Raid was an Israeli commando operation against the Lebanese headquarters of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine – General Command (PFLP-GC) in Naameh, 10 km (6.2 mi) south of Beirut, launched on 9 December 1988.[2]

The operation was named Operation Blue and Brown (Hebrew: מבצע כחול וחום, romanized: Mivtza Kachol ve-Chum) and consisted of a night-time coastal landing and a difficult 3-kilometre (1.9 mi) march across very rough terrain to the heavily fortified Palestinian base, located near the coastal Lebanese town of Naameh (Arabic: الناعمة, romanized: an-Na'imah). It was to be the deepest Israeli incursion since the beginning of the withdrawal from Lebanon in 1983.[1] Its two main objectives were the assassination of PFLP-GC's Secretary-General Ahmad Jibril, reported to be present at the base, and the destruction of the system of bunkers, caves, and tunnels, which made it invulnerable to air attack.[3]

The operation failed to achieve its main objectives, mainly due to inaccurate intelligence and several mistakes made by the Israeli commanders. The Israeli soldiers never managed to break into or destroy the main bunker where Jibril was thought to be hiding. The attack on the caves similarly stalled because of loss of element of surprise and subsequent stiff resistance. The IDF commander Lt. Col. Amir Mei-Tal was killed and three of his men were wounded. Dan Shomron, Chief of Staff of the Israel Defense Forces described it as a successful operation executed with a high level of professionalism,[4] while Israeli military analyst Ronen Bergman described the operation as an "embarrassing flop".[5]

  1. ^ a b Joel Brinkley (10 December 1988). "Israel Launches Big Land Attack On a Palestinian Base in Lebanon". New York Times. Retrieved 2 May 2021.
  2. ^ Middle East International No 340, 16 December 1988, Publishers Lord Mayhew, Dennis Walters MP; Jim Muir pp.8-9
  3. ^ Katz 1993, p. 167
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference Maariv was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ Bergman 2018, p. 350