Japanese militant involved in 1972 Tel Aviv airport attack dies in Beirut

Kozo Okamoto, a Japanese militant who participated in the deadly 1972 attack on Tel Aviv's airport, died Thursday in Beirut at the age of 78. The Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), a faction within the Palestine Liberation Organization, announced his death and stated that Okamoto had been ill for an extended period. The group had been protecting him since his release from Israeli custody.

Known within the PFLP as Ahmad al-Yabani, or Ahmad the Japanese, Okamoto was a figure associated with the Japanese Red Army's militant activities. The PFLP described his life as "marked by immense sacrifices" in support of the Palestinian cause, emphasizing his steadfastness to his principles. Okamoto served 12 years in an Israeli prison for his role in the May 30, 1972 attack. He was released in 1985 as part of a prisoner exchange.

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Okamoto's journey was marked by immense sacrifices spanning for decades on the battlefields of struggle in support of the Palestinian cause.

The 1972 assault involved Okamoto and two colleagues arriving in Tel Aviv, retrieving rifles and grenades from their luggage, and opening fire at the airport. The attack resulted in the deaths of 26 people and wounded dozens more. Okamoto was wounded during the incident, while his two accomplices were killed. The PFLP stated that the attack was in retaliation for a 1968 Israeli commando raid on Beirut's international airport.

After his release, Okamoto gained political asylum in Lebanon, where he lived until his death. He made rare public appearances, including one in May 2022 to mark the 50th anniversary of the attack. The Japanese Red Army, formed in 1971, was known for its international attacks, often in collaboration with Palestinian militant groups like the PFLP, which itself gained notoriety for several high-profile hijackings in the 1970s.

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Okamoto never compromised nor faltered but remained steadfast to his principles.