Ma’Alot MassacreMa’Alot

MassacreAvailable online at:

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W.W.W.W

• Who? Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine

• What? Hostage/School Massacre

• Where: Ma’alot Galilee Israel

• When? May 15 1974

The Van Attack

• The attack was carried out by three members of the DFLP dressed in Israel Defence Force uniforms

• They got into Ma’alot through a nearby nature reserve on May 13th and hid for a few days.

• When driving to Ma’alot they encountered a van full of Christian Arab women, they asked for directions then shot up the van.

The Cohen family

• When they got to Ma’alot they knocked on the doors of homes and shot anyone who answered.

• The Cohen Family answered the door, the terrorists killed their 4 year old son, wounded their 5 year old daughter and then killed the couple.

• The only family member unharmed was a 16 month old baby who couldn’t see, speak or hear.

The School Massacre

• Terrorists headed for Netiv Mier elementary schools where a group of students was housed on a field trip.

• They asked a man for directions on the way and then shot him and left him to die.

• The terrorists entered the school and took 120 students hostage.

Teachers Escape

• Many of the teachers abandoned their students by jumping out the window.

• At the time of the attack they were suspended from teaching and parents thought them cruel.

• After the attack they were cleared of any wrong doings despite the negative reaction from parents.

Attack and Demands

• Students were left inside to sit on the ground at gunpoint with explosive devices in between them.

• Terrorists demanded the release of 23 prisoners from Israeli jails. Conditions had to be met by 6pm or students would be killed.

• Negotiations occurred but no extended deadline was given.

Ambush

• At 2:25pm the Special Forces Unit was given the go ahead to ambush the school.

• They split up into 3 units. Two would enter through the front door and one through the window.

• The first unit was met with gunfire, while the second was blinded by smoke from a grenade.

• The third unit managed to get through the window.

• The terrorists loaded their weapons with ammunition from teachers desks and sprayed the students with gunfire.

• Two grenades were also thrown at a group of girls.

• The terrorists were shot.

Death Toll and Aftermath

• 22 students were killed in the attack plus 3 terrorists.

• Israel Defence Force planes bombed training camps and offices of the terrorists. These bombs also hit refugee camps and killed 27 people.

• A special terrorism unit called Yaman was developed in Israel.