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, south of Beirut, launched on 9 December 1988.
The operation was named Operation Blue and Brown () and consisted of a night-time coastal landing and a difficult march across very rough terrain to the heavily fortified Palestinian base, located near the coastal Lebanese town of Naameh (). It was to be the deepest Israeli incursion since the beginning of the withdrawal from Lebanon in 1983. 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.
The operation failed, 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. Israeli military analyst Ronen Bergman described the operation as an "embarrassing flop".
Background
PFLP-GC was a small radical Palestinian resistance organization, whose main source of strength was the backing of the Syrian state and its security services. The organization had acquired some reputation, or notoriety, for carrying out lethal military operations. PFLP-GC was suspected of the bombing of Swissair Flight 330 (1970), the Kiryat Shmona massacre (1974) and the Night of the Gliders (1987).
The Lebanese headquarters of the PFLP-GC were located in a mountainous area above the town of Naameh. It consisted of several deep caves dug out in the mountain side and a central bunker. The caves contained the living quarters and garrison of the Sabra and Shatila battalion of the PFLP-GC. The bunker contained the headquarters as well as offices of Jibril and other high-ranking officials of the organization. The facilities had repeatedly been subjected to, and proven impenetrable to, severe aerial bombardment from the Israeli air force. Six months prior to the operation, PLO military commander Khalil al-Wazir had been assassinated in an Israeli raid in Tunis. A PFLP-GC cross-border hang-glider attack, that killed six Israeli soldiers, had deeply embarrassed the Israeli Army command. Israeli Deputy Chief of Staff Major General Ehud Barak vowed that Jibril's organization "will in due time pay the price" for its murderous mission. Although denied by Israel, the timing of the operation seems to have coincided with the anniversary of this attack and the outbreak of the intifada. The Israeli Prime minister Yitzhak Shamir "signed a Red Page" for Ahmad Jibril, meaning that he authorized his assassination.
The Operation
Gen. Doron Rubin commanded the operation from an IDF vessel in the Mediterranean. Col. Baruch Spiegel was the commander on the ground at the beachhead.
The Israeli forces arrived in small boats. First a beachhead was secured by a unit of Shayetet 13 naval commandos under the command of Lt. Col. Eli Glickman. The main force, consisting of different units of the Golani Brigade was landed shortly afterwards. Lt. Col. Erez Gerstein, commander of the Golani commando unit, was to lead the attack on the main bunker, while Lt. Col. Amir Mei-Tal of the Golani 12th Battalion, was to lead the attack on the caves. The three-kilometre walk to the target proved much more difficult than anticipated. The area was covered by large boulders, making the walk both slow and hazardous.
The Israeli force only arrived at the Naameh base in 2am, which was much later than planned. Only a few hours remained before daybreak. A daytime withdrawal over hostile territory would be extremely dangerous. Gerstein asked Spiegel to abort the attack or allow the force to go into hiding and carry out the attack the following night. Spiegel denied both requests.
Gerstein and his men arrived at their target before the other units had reached theirs. Gerstein suddenly saw a figure in a window and decided to open fire with a gun with a silencer. The shots were probably overheard by the Palestinians and the element of surprise was lost.