An Israeli airstrike in southern Lebanon has killed Maha Abu Khalil, an 80-year-old operative who was part of a terror cell that attempted to hijack an El Al flight in Athens in 1969, marking what officials describe as the closing of a decades-old account.

According to reports on Wednesday, Abu Khalil was killed in a strike carried out by the Israeli Air Force in the Tyre district in the western sector of southern Lebanon, just minutes before a cease-fire between Israel and Lebanon took effect.

Abu Khalil was a known member of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine and had long been associated with attacks targeting Israeli interests. Her death is being viewed as a significant moment in Israel’s long-standing conflict with figures linked to early-era Palestinian terrorism.

The incident that first brought Abu Khalil to prominence occurred in 1969 at Athens International Airport in Greece. She was part of a three-person cell from the Popular Front that sought to seize control of an El Al aircraft bound for Israel.

The objective of the hijacking attempt was to trigger an international crisis and pressure Israel into releasing Palestinian and Arab prisoners held at the time. The operation was foiled, and Greek authorities arrested the members of the cell and brought them to trial.

Despite her conviction, Abu Khalil did not serve her full prison sentence. In 1970, about a year after the failed hijacking attempt, another aircraft was hijacked by the same terror organization, which issued an ultimatum demanding the release of imprisoned operatives. As part of a prisoner exchange forced on the Greek government with international mediation, Abu Khalil and her associates were released.

Reports indicate that the Israeli strike that killed her targeted several buildings in Tyre believed to be used for terrorist infrastructure, and was carried out in the final moments before the cease-fire went into effect.

Her killing, despite her advanced age, is being described as symbolic, representing a reckoning with members of the earlier generation of Palestinian militants in Lebanon who were involved in hijackings and high-profile attacks against Israel in previous decades.

Separately, the IDF released details of another operation conducted earlier Wednesday deep inside Lebanese territory, shortly before the cease-fire began. Forces from the 769th Brigade under the 91st Division, working in coordination with the Israeli Air Force, carried out a raid on a Hezbollah compound in the village of Debin, approximately 12 kilometers from the border.

According to the military, the operation followed intelligence indicating militant activity at the site and plans to carry out attacks against Israeli forces and civilians. Troops from the Sabra Battalion raided the compound and destroyed extensive terrorist infrastructure.

During the operation, Israeli forces struck more than 70 separate targets, including engaging in close-quarters combat with Hezbollah operatives alongside precision airstrikes. More than 20 militants were reported killed in the assault.

{Matzav.com}