Larnaca yacht killings
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c. 4:30
| Larnaca yacht killings | |
|---|---|
| Location | Larnaca, Cyprus |
| Date | September 25, 1985 c. 4:30 |
| Weapons | Assault rifles, automatic pistols, hand grenades |
| Deaths | 3 civilians |
| Perpetrator | Fatah's Force 17[1] |
No. of participants | 3 |
The Larnaca Yacht killings was a terrorist attack by alleged supporters of the Palestine Liberation Organization in Larnaca, Cyprus on September 25, 1985, followed by a ten-hour standoff with police.
At roughly 4:30, three gunmen stormed a 12 m (38 feet) yacht carrying in the city's harbour, proceeding to attack the three Israelis on board. Tourist Esther Palzur, dressed in a nightgown, grabbed a knife and tried to fend them off. As the gunmen turned their fire on her, she tried to run up towards the deck but was gunned down before she could escape.[2][3] The two remaining Israelis, Palzur's husband Reuven and their friend Avraham Avner, were blindfolded and kept as hostages by the terrorists, who threatened to kill them if Israel did not release 20 Palestinians who had been captured by the Israeli Navy.[3]
As Cypriot police surrounded the harbour, turning the crisis into a standoff, the hostage takers threatened to explode the vessel if they were not given their demands by 10:00 am. Their threat never materialized and the deadline passed without issue.[2]
The Egyptian Ambassador in the country was summoned to the scene after the militants made a request. The terrorists, however, refused to let a pair of PLO representatives attend the negotiations.[2]
At 13:55, the attackers finally surrendered and left the boat, blowing kisses and making the V for Victory signs, before they were arrested by the police. The policemen went on to board to discover the two men's blindfolded corpses in the cabin; their feet and hands tied behind their backs.[2] Esther Palzur's body was found lying on the ship's guard rail; her gown torn and a gunshot wound in her stomach.[3][4]
