Operation Spring of Youth

Operation Spring of Youth took place on the night of April 9 and early morning of April 10, 1973. Israeli Defence Force special forces units attacked several PLO targets in Beirut and Sidon, Lebanon. The operation had a shocking affect on the PLO.

Secondary Targets

A separate nearby target was a multi-story building which housed activists of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine. The attacking team had 14 commandos, mainly paratroopers led by Amnon Lipkin-Shahak, who later on succeeded Barak as IDF Chief of Staff. The attacking team met strong resistance early on, and two of its soldiers were killed. Despite this resistance, the force was able to bomb the building. Lipkin-Shahak was also decorated for bravery for his conduct in this operation.

Related Topics:
Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine - Amnon Lipkin-Shahak

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Other targets were bombed after having been searched for papers and other intelligence materials. These targets were attacked by the Israeli Navy, especially Shayetet 13 commandos:

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• The headquarters of the Fatah's Gaza sector and a workshop which assembled rockets and mines near the Beirut International Airport.
• Another workshop in the north-eastern part of Beirut assembling rockets and mines.
• PLO vehicle garage north of Sidon.