This article introduces a fascinating documentary streaming service called MagellanTV, which offers a wide range of historical documentaries. One particularly intriguing episode is “Secrets” from the Top 10 Warfare series. This episode explores how secrecy, including deceptions, assassinations, and espionage, played a crucial role in the major wars of the 20th century. It’s a thrilling countdown of the top ten secrets that influenced these conflicts. If you’re curious about which secrets made the list, this action-packed episode is a must-watch!
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Now, let’s delve into the remarkable commando mission known as Operation Spring of Youth, which took place on April 9, 1973. On this night, a team of Israeli commandos executed one of the most audacious covert operations in history, deep within the hostile environment of Beirut. They struck a significant blow to their adversaries by destroying their headquarters and eliminating three high-ranking officers. Operation Spring of Youth remains a testament to the cunning and bravery of Israeli special forces.
Operation Spring of Youth was part of a larger campaign called Operation Wrath of God, initiated by the Israeli government, Mossad, and the Israeli Defense Forces. The mission aimed to track down those responsible for the 1972 Munich massacre, where members of the Palestinian terrorist group Black September killed 11 Israeli athletes during the Summer Olympics in Munich, Germany. In response, Israeli Prime Minister Golda Meir ordered a retaliation campaign against Black September and the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO).
For two decades, Israeli agents and commandos pursued those linked to the Munich massacre. Operation Spring of Youth was the first mission in this campaign, planned by the Israeli Defense Forces rather than Mossad. Three elite Israeli military units were tasked with executing the mission: Sayeret Matkal, the army’s commando unit; Sayaret Tzanhanim, a paratrooper unit; and Shayetet 13, the navy’s commando unit.
The operation’s mastermind was Barak, the commander of Sayeret Matkal, who later became Israel’s 10th Prime Minister. The primary targets were three high-ranking figures from the PLO and its faction, Fatah, known for their aggressive campaigns against Israel. These targets included Abu Yusuf, Fatah’s leader; Kamal Adwan, a co-founder of Fatah; and Dr. Kamal Nasser, responsible for covert operations in Israel and the PLO’s official spokesman. All three were on the target list for Operation Wrath of God.
They resided in two residential buildings in a wealthy Beirut neighborhood. Sayeret Matkal was tasked with eliminating these individuals during Operation Spring of Youth. The unit was divided into four teams: one for each apartment and one to secure the approach to the buildings. In addition to eliminating the targets, the commandos were instructed to gather as many documents as possible from each apartment. Mossad obtained architectural plans for the target buildings, enabling the commandos to train accurately for the mission.
For three weeks, Israeli forces meticulously planned the assault, considering potential errors or accidents. The commandos carried photos of the targets to memorize their faces. Another objective was to attack the Beirut headquarters of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, a PLO faction, along with their weapons manufacturing facilities and fuel dump stations nearby.
On April 9, Israeli missile boats sailed north from Haifa to the Lebanese coast, carrying the commandos and their Zodiac speedboats. Upon reaching Beirut, the Sayeret Matkal commandos were met by Mossad agents in rented cars. To avoid detection, they disguised themselves as tourists, with some even dressing as women and practicing walking in high heels during training.
Once at the target area, the unit split into teams and launched simultaneous, coordinated attacks on the three apartments. They stormed each apartment by blowing open the entrance doors. In the first apartment, they found Abu Yusuf hiding in his bedroom. The commandos opened fire, killing him and his wife, who tried to shield him. An elderly neighbor was accidentally killed as she peeked through her door.
In the second building, Kamal Nasser was shot immediately upon entry. In the third apartment, Kamal Adwan managed to grab his AK-47 and shot one of the commandos before being killed by return fire. Outside, the security team engaged with Lebanese police who arrived at the scene. The commandos quickly retreated to their vehicles and escaped.
Meanwhile, the paratroopers took a more aggressive approach, firing at the group guarding the entrance to the Popular Front headquarters. After a brief battle, they entered the building, planted explosives, and detonated them from a safe distance, destroying the building and killing dozens of fighters inside.
The entire operation lasted longer than planned but was deemed a major success, with only two Israeli soldiers killed and a few wounded. Five buildings were raided, three high-ranking enemy officials were eliminated, and nearly 100 members of the Popular Front were killed. This operation marked the beginning of Israel’s retaliation program, with Mossad continuing to pursue members of the PLO and Black September for the next two decades. For Israel, the soldiers who executed this daring attack avenged the deaths of the Olympic athletes killed in the Munich massacre, making Operation Spring of Youth one of the most successful military operations in their history.
Watch the “Secrets” episode from the Top 10 Warfare series on MagellanTV. After viewing, analyze the role of secrecy in warfare. Discuss with your peers how deception and espionage have shaped historical conflicts, drawing parallels to Operation Spring of Youth. Consider the ethical implications of such tactics in modern warfare.
Engage in a role-playing exercise where you are part of a military planning team tasked with executing a covert operation. Use the planning details of Operation Spring of Youth as a case study. Develop a strategy, considering factors like target identification, disguise, and escape routes. Present your plan to the class and discuss potential challenges and solutions.
Research the historical context of the Munich massacre and the subsequent Operation Wrath of God. Prepare a presentation that outlines the political and social climate of the time, the motivations behind the operations, and their impact on international relations. Highlight the significance of Operation Spring of Youth within this broader campaign.
Participate in a debate on the ethics of retaliation in military operations. Use Operation Spring of Youth as a focal point to discuss the moral considerations of such missions. Consider arguments for and against the use of force in response to terrorism, and explore alternative methods of conflict resolution.
Write a first-person narrative from the perspective of one of the commandos involved in Operation Spring of Youth. Describe the mission’s planning, execution, and aftermath, focusing on the emotional and psychological aspects of participating in such a high-stakes operation. Share your narrative with the class and reflect on the personal impact of military service.
This video is brought to you by MagellanTV. Many of you have already subscribed to this new documentary streaming service. For those of you who have, we highly recommend checking out an episode called “Secrets” in the Top 10 Warfare series. In warfare, secrecy can mean the difference between victory and defeat. In this documentary, you can learn more about the secrets—whether it’s deceptions, assassinations, or spying—that impacted important wars of the 20th century in a Top 10 countdown style. What secrets do you think made the list? Check out the action-packed episode and find out!
For those who haven’t subscribed yet, MagellanTV is a documentary streaming membership service founded by filmmakers, bringing you premium content and diving deep into the subjects you want to learn more about. MagellanTV has the richest and most varied content on history available anywhere, with over 3,000 documentary movies, series, and exclusive playlists, many available in 4K. They cover ancient, modern, current, early modern, war, and biographical history, as well as science, space, and even true crime, which can be watched anywhere on your television, laptop, or mobile device. All shows are without interruptions from commercials, and we have a special offer where you can check it out all for free! Simple History viewers get a one-month free trial membership. Just go to try.magellantv.com/simplehistory or click the link in the description below to check out our documentary recommendations for free.
Now, let’s dive into a commando revenge mission known as Operation Spring of Youth, which took place on April 9, 1973. On that night, a group of Israeli commandos performed one of the most daring clandestine operations in history deep in the hostile environment of Beirut. They dealt the enemy a devastating blow by destroying their headquarters and eliminating three high-ranking officers. To this day, Operation Spring of Youth stands as a landmark of Israeli special forces’ cunning and bravery.
Operation Spring of Youth was a retaliation mission as part of a larger campaign called Operation Wrath of God. This operation was organized by the Israeli government, Mossad, and the Israeli Defense Forces with the objective of hunting down the leaders and perpetrators of the 1972 Munich massacre during the Summer Olympics in Munich, Germany. Eight members of the Palestinian terrorist organization Black September killed 11 Israeli athletes, backed by military and intelligence officials. In response, Israeli Prime Minister Golda Meir ordered a retaliation campaign against Black September and the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO).
For two decades, Israeli agents and commandos hunted down all those connected to the Munich massacre. Operation Spring of Youth was the first Wrath of God mission, planned not by Mossad but by the Israeli Defense Forces. The task of executing the mission was given to three elite units of the Israeli military: Sayeret Matkal, the commando unit of the Israeli army; paratroopers from the Sayaret Tzanhanim unit; and Shayetet 13, the commando unit of the Israeli navy.
The mastermind of the operation was the commander of Sayeret Matkal, Barak, who would eventually become the 10th Prime Minister of Israel. The prime targets were three high-ranking figures from the PLO and its faction known as Fatah, which led multiple aggressive campaigns against Israel. These targets included Abu Yusuf, the leader of Fatah; Kamal Adwan, co-founder of Fatah; and Dr. Kamal Nasser, the man responsible for covert operations in Israel and the official spokesman for the PLO. All three were included on the target list of Operation Wrath of God.
They lived in two residential buildings across the street from each other in an affluent neighborhood of Beirut. Sayeret Matkal was tasked with eliminating these men during Operation Spring of Youth. The unit was divided into four teams—one for each apartment and one to guard the approach to the buildings. Apart from eliminating the designated targets, the commandos were also instructed to gather as many documents as possible from each apartment. The Israeli intelligence agency Mossad managed to obtain architectural plans for the target buildings, allowing the commandos to accurately train for the mission.
For three weeks, Israeli forces planned the assault with careful attention to detail, including preparations for potential errors or accidents. The commandos carried photos of the three individuals to memorize their targets. An additional objective in Operation Spring of Youth was to attack the Beirut headquarters of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, another faction of the PLO, as well as their weapons manufacturing facilities and fuel dump stations in the nearby area.
On April 9, Israeli missile boats navigated north from the port of Haifa to the coast of Lebanon, carrying the commandos and their Zodiac speedboats on board. Once on shore in Beirut, the Sayeret Matkal commandos were met by three cars rented and driven by Mossad agents. To avoid detection, they dressed as tourists, with some dressing as women, even practicing how to walk in high heels during their training.
Once the unit arrived at the target area, they split into teams and began their assault on the three apartments in simultaneous coordinated attacks. The commandos stormed each apartment by blowing open the entrance doors. In the first apartment, they found Abu Yusuf hiding behind the door in his bedroom. The commandos opened fire, killing him along with his wife, who was killed as she tried to shield him from the gunfire. An elderly neighbor was also accidentally killed as she peeked through her door.
In the second building, Kamal Nasser was shot immediately after the commandos entered. In the third apartment, Kamal Adwan managed to grab his AK-47 and shot one of the commandos before being killed by return fire. Outside, the security team engaged with the Lebanese police who had arrived at the scene. The commandos quickly rushed out into the street and escaped in their vehicles.
The paratroopers, meanwhile, were less subtle in their approach, firing into the group guarding the entrance to the Popular Front headquarters. After a short battle, they entered the building and planted explosives, which they detonated from a safe distance, destroying the building and killing dozens of fighters inside.
The entire operation lasted longer than planned, but it was considered a major success, with only two Israeli soldiers killed and a few wounded. A total of five buildings were raided, three high-ranking enemy officials were killed, and nearly 100 members of the Popular Front were eliminated. This operation marked the beginning of Israel’s retaliation program, with Mossad continuing to hunt down members of the PLO and Black September over the next two decades. For Israel, the soldiers who performed this daring attack had avenged the deaths of the Olympic athletes killed in the Munich massacre, making Operation Spring of Youth one of the most successful military operations in their history.
Operation – A planned military action or mission – The operation was meticulously planned to ensure the safety of the hostages during the rescue mission.
Youth – The time of life when a person is young, especially the period before and during adolescence – The youth of the nation played a pivotal role in the revolutionary movements that shaped the country’s future.
History – The study of past events, particularly in human affairs – Understanding history is crucial for policymakers to avoid repeating the mistakes of the past.
Government – The governing body of a nation, state, or community – The government implemented new policies to address the economic challenges facing the country.
Israel – A country in the Middle East, established in 1948 – Israel’s complex history has been marked by numerous conflicts and peace efforts with its neighbors.
Mossad – The national intelligence agency of Israel – Mossad is renowned for its intelligence operations and has played a critical role in safeguarding Israel’s national security.
PLO – Palestine Liberation Organization, a political and paramilitary organization – The PLO has been a central figure in the Palestinian struggle for statehood and self-determination.
Massacre – The indiscriminate and brutal slaughter of many people – The massacre was a tragic event that highlighted the urgent need for peace and reconciliation in the region.
Commandos – Specially trained soldiers for carrying out raids – The commandos executed a daring raid to dismantle the enemy’s strategic positions.
Warfare – Engagement in or the activities involved in war or conflict – Advances in technology have significantly changed the nature of modern warfare.
