who were then in Beirut. Others who were involved in the massacre
were killed in Europe (see WRATH OF GOD OPERATION).
The Mossadobtained information that two of the three Palestini-
ans lived on the second and third floors of the same building in
Beirut, and that the third lived across the street. The information also
specified the exact architectural plans of the buildings.
The plan chosen and carried out by Sayeret Matkal was for the
commandos to be landed from the sea off the Lebanese coast near
Beirut disguised as tourists; their Uzis, small arms, and explosive
charges would be hidden under their clothes. From the beach to the
targets inside the city was a distance of about six miles (10 kilome-
ters). Three units would attack each of the three individual apartments;
a guard unit would be positioned outside the apartment to contain any
Lebanese police or Palestinian backups. The operation was calculated
to have about 20 minutes from the first shots until Lebanese or Pales-
tinian reinforcements arrived on the scene. The commandos were ex-
pected to be back on the beach by then, ready to board the craft that
would take them back to Israel.
Barak himself commanded the operation, dressed as an Arab
woman. He led the guard unit. Another officer, Amiram Levine, was
also disguised as an Arab woman. This unit maintained contact with
operational headquarters, located aboard the ships offshore.
Alighting on the Lebanese coast, the commandos were met by
three cars driven by Mossad operatives, evidently planted in Lebanon
some time before, who knew the city well. They drove the comman-
dos to the apartments and collected them after the operation was ac-
complished. The Lebanese police subsequently found out that the
cars were rented by tourists with passports of different countries, us-
ing the names Gilbert Rimbaud (Belgian, about 35 years old) and Di-
eter Altnuder (German). The two had checked in at the same hotel in
Beirut. Most likely they were Mossad operatives. The front desk
clerk remembered that the two did not speak to each other; probably
they did not know each other.
In addition to the three apartments, a unit from the paratroop
brigade, led by Amnon Lipkin-Shahak, was assigned to hit the six-
story headquarters of the world’s most notorious hijackers, George
Habash’s Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine. Another para-
troop unit, as well as unit Shayetet 13 (Naval Commando), was to274 • SPRING OF YOUTH OPERATION06-102 (04) Q-Z.qxd 3/24/06 7:26 AM Page 274