Night of the Gliders
Encyclopedia
Night of the Gliders or the Kibia action, refers to an incident that took place on November 25, 1987, in which two Palestinian guerillas infiltrated into Israel
from South Lebanon using hang gliders to launch a surprise attack against Israel Defense Forces
(IDF) soldiers. Six Israeli soldiers were killed and eight others wounded. Both Palestinian guerillas were also killed.
in Southern Lebanon. One of the organizations fighting Israel there was Ahmed Jibril
's Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine - General Command
(PFLP-GC), a Damascus
-based Palestine Liberation Organization
(PLO) splinter group.
The fence along the border made it difficult to cross into Israel. In March 1981, a similar attempt was made when an intruder, using a motorized hang glider reached Haifa Bay, but was caught by Israeli forces.
n controlled area, armed with an AK-47
assault rifle, a pistol with a silencer, and several hand grenade
s. The gliders were powered by a lawn mower-size engine and a small propeller.
The engine was heard by several soldiers, and at 10:30 PM the Israeli Northern Command
was alerted to the danger of an infiltration. An alarm was sounded, flares were fired and helicopters were sent out to search for the gliders, but without success, as the gliders were flying as low as tree level. However, at the Gibor army camp, about two miles east of Kiryat Shmona
, no security precautions had been taken thirty minutes after the alarm was issued and no additional guards had been posted at the camp's gate. It was later discovered that an early intelligence warning was neglected due to lack of attention.
One of the gliders landed in the security zone, and the Palestinian was later tracked down and killed by Israeli troops. The second landed near the Gibor camp. The Palestinian spotted a passing army truck outside the base and opened fire on it, killing the driver and wounding a female soldier riding with him. He then headed towards a nearby army encampment manned by Nahal Brigade
soldiers some 175 meters away. He hurled grenades and sprayed automatic fire at the sentry, who panicked and ran away, allowing him free entry into the encampment. He then fired his AK-47
and threw grenades into tents being used by Israeli soldiers, killing five and wounding seven, but was then shot and killed by an Israeli officer who had been wounded.
The IDF was heavily criticized by the Israeli press. The headline of Maariv
read "Foul-Up in the North - A Blow to the Army". The press also called for an investigation as to how the infiltration was possible. Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Shamir
blamed Syria
for the attack, saying "It is clear that they could not have done it without the patronage and the help of the Syrians", and stated that Israel held Syria responsible. Deputy Chief of Staff (Ramatkal
) Ehud Barak
vowed that the PFLP-GC "will in due time pay the price". Speaking before the Knesset
on November 30, Israeli Defense Minister Yitzhak Rabin
sent his condolences to the families of the casualties. He assured the residents of the Galilee
that the IDF will do the best they can to prevent similar raids. However, he admitted that "all the steps required by orders and procedures were not taken in this camp, which led to the grave consequences."
At first, the only soldier indicted was the sentry, who was sentenced to a six months imprisonment. Only following public pressure did Chief of Staff Dan Shomron
decide to take further proceedings and transfer the brigade operations officer from his position. This gave birth to the phrase "The sentry syndrome" (Tismonet HaShin-Gimel), meaning that a system is trying to shake off responsibility for a failure by putting all the blame on the lowest possible rank.
A monument commemorating the casualties of the incident was raised near Kiryat Shmona.
praised the attack, saying "The attack demonstrated that there could be no barriers or obstacles to prevent a guerrilla who has decided to become a martyr." Palestinian newspapers in the West Bank
placed the story on their front headlines and in colored ink, but were prevented from printing anything but the barest details of the incident by the Israeli Military Censor
. Palestinians began taunting Israeli troops, crying "six to one", and the writing "6:1" appeared on walls in Gaza
. On December 9, riots broke in the Gaza Strip
, marking the beginning of the First Intifada
. The incident is often seen as a catalyst for the riots.
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
from South Lebanon using hang gliders to launch a surprise attack against Israel Defense Forces
Israel Defense Forces
The Israel Defense Forces , commonly known in Israel by the Hebrew acronym Tzahal , are the military forces of the State of Israel. They consist of the ground forces, air force and navy. It is the sole military wing of the Israeli security forces, and has no civilian jurisdiction within Israel...
(IDF) soldiers. Six Israeli soldiers were killed and eight others wounded. Both Palestinian guerillas were also killed.
Background
In 1987, Israel was occupying a security zoneIsraeli Security Zone
The Israeli Security Zone in southern Lebanon was a strip of territory of varying width, , from the Israeli border and the Golan Heights, occupied by Israeli forces from 1985 to 2000. Additional regions controlled by the South Lebanon Army are sometimes included under the term...
in Southern Lebanon. One of the organizations fighting Israel there was Ahmed Jibril
Ahmed Jibril
Ahmed Jibril is the founder and leader of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine - General Command , part of the left-wing, Palestinian national liberation movement....
's Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine - General Command
Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine - General Command
The Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine – General Command is a Palestinian nationalist organization, backed by Syria and Iran...
(PFLP-GC), a Damascus
Damascus
Damascus , commonly known in Syria as Al Sham , and as the City of Jasmine , is the capital and the second largest city of Syria after Aleppo, both are part of the country's 14 governorates. In addition to being one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world, Damascus is a major...
-based Palestine Liberation Organization
Palestine Liberation Organization
The Palestine Liberation Organization is a political and paramilitary organization which was created in 1964. It is recognized as the "sole legitimate representative of the Palestinian people" by the United Nations and over 100 states with which it holds diplomatic relations, and has enjoyed...
(PLO) splinter group.
The fence along the border made it difficult to cross into Israel. In March 1981, a similar attempt was made when an intruder, using a motorized hang glider reached Haifa Bay, but was caught by Israeli forces.
The attack
On the night of November 25, 1987, two PFLP-GC soldiers took off from Southern Lebanon, perhaps from a SyriaSyria
Syria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....
n controlled area, armed with an AK-47
AK-47
The AK-47 is a selective-fire, gas-operated 7.62×39mm assault rifle, first developed in the Soviet Union by Mikhail Kalashnikov. It is officially known as Avtomat Kalashnikova . It is also known as a Kalashnikov, an "AK", or in Russian slang, Kalash.Design work on the AK-47 began in the last year...
assault rifle, a pistol with a silencer, and several hand grenade
Hand grenade
A hand grenade is any small bomb that can be thrown by hand. Hand grenades are classified into three categories, explosive grenades, chemical and gas grenades. Explosive grenades are the most commonly used in modern warfare, and are designed to detonate after impact or after a set amount of time...
s. The gliders were powered by a lawn mower-size engine and a small propeller.
The engine was heard by several soldiers, and at 10:30 PM the Israeli Northern Command
Israeli Northern Command
The Israeli Northern Command is the Israel Defense Forces regional command responsible for the northern front with Syria and Lebanon.-History:...
was alerted to the danger of an infiltration. An alarm was sounded, flares were fired and helicopters were sent out to search for the gliders, but without success, as the gliders were flying as low as tree level. However, at the Gibor army camp, about two miles east of Kiryat Shmona
Kiryat Shmona
Kiryat Shmona is a city located in the North District of Israel on the western slopes of the Hula Valley on the Lebanese border. The city was named for the eight people, including Joseph Trumpeldor, who died in 1920 defending Tel Hai....
, no security precautions had been taken thirty minutes after the alarm was issued and no additional guards had been posted at the camp's gate. It was later discovered that an early intelligence warning was neglected due to lack of attention.
One of the gliders landed in the security zone, and the Palestinian was later tracked down and killed by Israeli troops. The second landed near the Gibor camp. The Palestinian spotted a passing army truck outside the base and opened fire on it, killing the driver and wounding a female soldier riding with him. He then headed towards a nearby army encampment manned by Nahal Brigade
Nahal
Nahal is an Israel Defense Forces infantry brigade. Historically, it refers to a program that combines military service and establishment of new agricultural settlements, often in outlying areas...
soldiers some 175 meters away. He hurled grenades and sprayed automatic fire at the sentry, who panicked and ran away, allowing him free entry into the encampment. He then fired his AK-47
AK-47
The AK-47 is a selective-fire, gas-operated 7.62×39mm assault rifle, first developed in the Soviet Union by Mikhail Kalashnikov. It is officially known as Avtomat Kalashnikova . It is also known as a Kalashnikov, an "AK", or in Russian slang, Kalash.Design work on the AK-47 began in the last year...
and threw grenades into tents being used by Israeli soldiers, killing five and wounding seven, but was then shot and killed by an Israeli officer who had been wounded.
Israeli reactions
Maariv
Maariv is a Hebrew language daily newspaper published in Israel. It is second in sales after Yedioth Ahronoth and third in readership after Yedioth Ahronoth and Israel HaYom. In a TGI survey comparing the last half of 2009 with the same period in 2008, Maariv saw its market share fall slightly...
read "Foul-Up in the North - A Blow to the Army". The press also called for an investigation as to how the infiltration was possible. Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Shamir
Yitzhak Shamir
' is a former Israeli politician, the seventh Prime Minister of Israel, in 1983–84 and 1986–92.-Biography:Icchak Jeziernicky was born in Ruzhany , Russian Empire . He studied at a Hebrew High School in Białystok, Poland. As a youth he joined Betar, the Revisionist Zionist youth movement...
blamed Syria
Syria
Syria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....
for the attack, saying "It is clear that they could not have done it without the patronage and the help of the Syrians", and stated that Israel held Syria responsible. Deputy Chief of Staff (Ramatkal
Ramatkal
The Chief of the General Staff, also known as the Commander-in-Chief of the Israel Defense Forces is the supreme commander and Chief of Staff of the Israel Defense Forces. At any given time, the Chief of Staff is the only active officer holding the IDF's highest rank, Rav Aluf , which is usually...
) Ehud Barak
Ehud Barak
Ehud Barak is an Israeli politician who served as Prime Minister from 1999 until 2001. He was leader of the Labor Party until January 2011 and holds the posts of Minister of Defense and Deputy Prime Minister in Binyamin Netanyahu's government....
vowed that the PFLP-GC "will in due time pay the price". Speaking before the Knesset
Knesset
The Knesset is the unicameral legislature of Israel, located in Givat Ram, Jerusalem.-Role in Israeli Government :The legislative branch of the Israeli government, the Knesset passes all laws, elects the President and Prime Minister , approves the cabinet, and supervises the work of the government...
on November 30, Israeli Defense Minister Yitzhak Rabin
Yitzhak Rabin
' was an Israeli politician, statesman and general. He was the fifth Prime Minister of Israel, serving two terms in office, 1974–77 and 1992 until his assassination in 1995....
sent his condolences to the families of the casualties. He assured the residents of the Galilee
Galilee
Galilee , is a large region in northern Israel which overlaps with much of the administrative North District of the country. Traditionally divided into Upper Galilee , Lower Galilee , and Western Galilee , extending from Dan to the north, at the base of Mount Hermon, along Mount Lebanon to the...
that the IDF will do the best they can to prevent similar raids. However, he admitted that "all the steps required by orders and procedures were not taken in this camp, which led to the grave consequences."
At first, the only soldier indicted was the sentry, who was sentenced to a six months imprisonment. Only following public pressure did Chief of Staff Dan Shomron
Dan Shomron
Gen. Dan Shomron was the 13th Chief of Staff of the Israel Defense Forces, from 1987 to 1991....
decide to take further proceedings and transfer the brigade operations officer from his position. This gave birth to the phrase "The sentry syndrome" (Tismonet HaShin-Gimel), meaning that a system is trying to shake off responsibility for a failure by putting all the blame on the lowest possible rank.
A monument commemorating the casualties of the incident was raised near Kiryat Shmona.
Palestinian reactions
The PFLP-GC assumed responsibility for the attack, which was seen as a morale boost. On December 3, PLO chairman Yasser ArafatYasser Arafat
Mohammed Yasser Abdel Rahman Abdel Raouf Arafat al-Qudwa al-Husseini , popularly known as Yasser Arafat or by his kunya Abu Ammar , was a Palestinian leader and a Laureate of the Nobel Prize. He was Chairman of the Palestine Liberation Organization , President of the Palestinian National Authority...
praised the attack, saying "The attack demonstrated that there could be no barriers or obstacles to prevent a guerrilla who has decided to become a martyr." Palestinian newspapers in the West Bank
West Bank
The West Bank ) of the Jordan River is the landlocked geographical eastern part of the Palestinian territories located in Western Asia. To the west, north, and south, the West Bank shares borders with the state of Israel. To the east, across the Jordan River, lies the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan...
placed the story on their front headlines and in colored ink, but were prevented from printing anything but the barest details of the incident by the Israeli Military Censor
Israeli Military Censor
The Israeli Military Censor is a unit in the IDF Directorate of Military Intelligence which watches over the publication of information regarding the military network, and generally, the security of Israel. The Military Censor, as part of its duty, has authority to suppress information it deems...
. Palestinians began taunting Israeli troops, crying "six to one", and the writing "6:1" appeared on walls in Gaza
Gaza
Gaza , also referred to as Gaza City, is a Palestinian city in the Gaza Strip, with a population of about 450,000, making it the largest city in the Palestinian territories.Inhabited since at least the 15th century BC,...
. On December 9, riots broke in the Gaza Strip
Gaza Strip
thumb|Gaza city skylineThe Gaza Strip lies on the Eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea. The Strip borders Egypt on the southwest and Israel on the south, east and north. It is about long, and between 6 and 12 kilometres wide, with a total area of...
, marking the beginning of the First Intifada
First Intifada
The First Intifada was a Palestinian uprising against the Israeli occupation of the Palestinian Territories. The uprising began in the Jabalia refugee camp and quickly spread throughout Gaza, the West Bank and East Jerusalem....
. The incident is often seen as a catalyst for the riots.