List of attacks against Israeli embassies and diplomats

Last updated

This is a list of attacks on Israeli embassies and diplomats since the establishment of the State of Israel in 1948.

List

DateLocationDetailsType of attackDeaths
8 September 1969 Flag of the Netherlands.svg The Hague, Netherlands
Flag of Germany.svg Bonn, West Germany
Flag of Belgium (civil).svg Brussels, Belgium
1969 Israeli embassies and El Al attacks : The embassies in The Hague and Bonn, and the Brussels office of Israel's national airline El Al were attacked with explosives within minutes of each other. Three El Al employees and a customer were wounded in the Brussels attack, while the other two bombings caused no injuries. [1] [2] [3] SeeBombnone
4 May 1970 Flag of Paraguay.svg Asuncion, Paraguay 1970 Asunción Israeli Embassy attack : Two armed Palestinians broke into the embassy and opened fire. A secretary, Edna Pe'er, was killed, and a local worker was injured. The perpetrators were apprehended and sentenced to long prison terms.Shooting1
17 May 1971 Flag of Turkey.svg Ankara, Turkey Assassination of Efraim Elrom : People's Liberation Army of Turkey (THKO) militants kidnapped Consul-general in Istanbul Efraim Elrom, demanding the Turkish government release imprisoned THKO militants. After the government refused, the militants killed Elrom. [4] [5] Kidnapping and murder1
11 September 1972 Flag of Belgium (civil).svg Brussels, BelgiumEmbassy clerk Ophir Zadok was shot in the head and stomach. He had gone to a café after having received a telephone call from a Moroccan man reportedly identifying himself as Mohammed Ahmed Rabbat and offering to provide intel. At his trial, the perpetrator claimed to be a member of Fatah. The organization later claimed responsibility. [1] [2] [6] Assassination attemptnone
19 September 1972 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg London, United Kingdom Agricultural attaché Ami Shchori was killed by the explosion of a letter bomb sent to him. The Black September Organization claimed responsibility.Assassination1
28 December 1972 Flag of Thailand.svg Bangkok, Thailand Israeli Bangkok Embassy hostage crisis : Four men forcibly entered the embassy, taking six personnel hostage, including the visiting ambassador to Cambodia, Shimon Avimor, and released them unharmed 19 hours later. [1] [2] Hostage-takingnone
1 July 1973 Flag of the United States.svg Washington, D.C., United States Yosef Alon, air force attaché, was shot to death outside his home. The case was never solved, but the FBI reopened the case in 2017 after a reporter discovered possible new leads connecting the assassination to the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP). [7] Assassination1
28 April 1975 Flag of South Africa (1928-1982).svg Johannesburg, South Africa David Protter, a South African Jew serving as assistant security officer at the consulate with “some political ax to grind” held 21 persons hostage inside the facility, including three children, but later released five wounded persons and the children. Subsequent shootouts left two persons dead and more than 33 wounded, mostly bystanders. After 16 hours, he was subdued by South African security forces who stormed the building. [8] Hostage-taking2
1 August 1978 Flag of Belgium (civil).svg Brussels, BelgiumTwo bazookas directed at the embassy were discovered and safely dismantled. The PLO was accused of the attempted attack. [1] [2] attempted rocket attacknone
5 April 1979 Flag of Cyprus.svg Nicosia, Cyprus A bomb exploded in the embassy. No one was injured. The Syrian-backed Palestinian group As-Sa'iqa claimed responsibility. [1] [2] [9] bombingnone
14 May 1979 Flag of Turkey.svg Istanbul, TurkeyA plot to abduct Israeli and U.S. consuls was uncovered. Two men belonging to a PLO-allied Turkish group were shot and killed. [1] [2] Attempted kidnapping2 (perpetrators)
13 November 1979 Flag of Portugal.svg Lisbon, Portugal Ambassador Ephraim Eldar was wounded in an assassination attempt that also killed an embassy guard and wounded the ambassador's chauffeur and a local policeman .Assassination attempt1
10 August 1981 Flag of Austria.svg Vienna, Austria
Flag of Greece.svg Athens, Greece
Two bombs were hurled into the embassy in Vienna early in the morning, injuring a 75-year old woman and damaging a house adjoining the embassy. Later the same day, two explosive devices detonated outside the diplomatic mission in Athens, causing slight damage to the building. [1] [2] [10] bombingnone
3 April 1982 Flag of France.svg Paris, France A young woman shot and killed Ya'acov Bar-Simantov, attaché in the embassy, outside his home. The Revolutionary Armed Factions of Lebanon claimed responsibility for the attack. The perpetrator escaped.Assassination1
4 June 1982 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg London, United KingdomAmbassador Shlomo Argov was shot in the head when leaving a diplomatic affair at the Dorchester Hotel, suffering severe injuries that debilitated him until his death in 2003. The three perpetrators, who were members of the Abu Nidal Organization, were apprehended, tried and sentenced to 30-35 years imprisonment. The shooting was used as Israel’s justification for its decision to invade Lebanon two days later to rout Palestinian guerrilla bases.Assassination1
23 September 1982 Flag of Malta.svg Valletta, Malta Esther Milo, the Charge d'Affaires was almost kidnapped by four men as she was about to enter her car. The attempt failed and Milo was only lightly injured. The attack was attributed to Abu Nidal. [1] [2] attempted kidnappingnone
2 December 1982 Flag of Ecuador.svg Quito, Ecuador Quito Israeli Embassy bombing : A bomb concealed in a suitcase exploded in the building housing the embassy. Two local policemen were killed and a local woman was injured. The building suffered considerable damage. A local organization claimed responsibility.bombing2
23 December 1982 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Sydney, Australia Sydney Israeli Consulate and Hakoah Club bombings : A bomb exploded in the consulate building. Two people were wounded, including a local employee. The Abu Ibrahim faction claimed responsibility. [1] [2] [11] [12] bombingnone
5 June 1984 Flag of Egypt.svg Cairo, Egypt Zvi Kedar, embassy attaché, was wounded in the hand when he was shot from a passing car as he was about to enter his home in Cairo. [1] [2] [13] Assassination attemptnone
28 June 1984 Flag of Sri Lanka.svg Colombo, Sri Lanka A bomb was detonated near a hotel room occupied by a diplomat. The explosion caused damage to the room but no injuries. [2] bombingnone
4 October 1984 Flag of Cyprus.svg Nicosia, CyprusA car bomb exploded in the parking lot of the embassy. The building suffered severe damage. No one was injured. Responsibility was claimed by Abu Musa, the Syrian-backed faction of the PLO led by Said al-Muragha. [1] [2] bombingnone
20 August 1985 Flag of Egypt.svg Cairo, EgyptAn embassy employee, Albert Atrakchi, was shot and killed while driving in his car. His wife and an embassy secretary were wounded. Responsibility was claimed by the Egyptian Islamic Jihad.assault1
19 March 1986 Flag of Egypt.svg Cairo, EgyptEti Telor, wife of an Embassy employee, was killed and three embassy employees were injured in an attack on their car, near the Israel pavilion at the Cairo Trade Fair.assault1
16 February 1988 Flag of the Philippines.svg Manila, Philippines An explosive device was detonated outside the embassy. There were no injuries. [2] [14] Bombingnone
12 May 1988 Flag of Cyprus.svg Nicosia, Cyprus 1988 Nicosia Israeli Embassy bombing: A car bomb exploded near the embassy, killing three policemen. The Abu Nidal Organization claimed responsibility. [15] Bombing3
7 March 1992 Flag of Turkey.svg Ankara, TurkeyEhud Sadan, Embassy Chief of Security was killed by an explosive device attached to his car. Islamic Jihad, Hezbollah and the Islamic Revenge Organization claimed responsibility.Assassination1
17 March 1992 Flag of Argentina.svg Buenos Aires, Argentina 1992 attack on Israeli embassy in Buenos Aires : A suicide bomb demolished the embassy. Approximately 300 people were wounded. Among the dead were four Israeli personnel, four local employees, and bystanders, including elderly residents of a nearby nursing home, and schoolchildren on a passing bus.Bombing30
11 March 1994 Flag of Thailand.svg Bangkok, ThailandA hijacked truck laden with explosives was intercepted on its way to carry out an attack against the embassy after hitting a motorcycle. The perpetrator fled the scene, leaving the body of the murdered driver in the vehicle.Attempted bombing1
26 July 1994 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg London, United Kingdom 1994 London Israeli embassy bombing: A bomb exploded outside the embassy, injuring several personnel. Two British-educated Palestinians, Samar Alami and Jawad Botmeh, were convicted of the attack and received 20-year prison sentences in 1996. [16] Bombingnone
22 September 1997 Flag of Jordan.svg Amman, Jordan Gunmen shot and wounded two Israeli embassy security personnel. The Jordanian Islamic Resistance claimed responsibility. [17] Shootingnone
1 October 1998 Flag of Belgium (civil).svg Brussels, BelgiumA grenade was found and safely dismantled outside the embassy.attempted grenade attacknone
17 February 1999 Flag of Germany.svg Berlin, Germany Israeli consulate attack in Berlin: Some 100 PKK supporters broke into the consulate general in protest over the Mossad's alleged role in the capture of PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan. Israeli security guards shot and killed three intruders in self-defense after they took a woman hostage and tried to seize weapons.assault3 (perpetrators)
30 July 2004 Flag of Uzbekistan.svg Tashkent, Uzbekistan 2004 Tashkent suicide bombings: The ambassador's personal bodyguard and four local policemen were killed in a dual suicide bombing outside the Israeli and American embassies.Bombing7
1 February 2008 Flag of Mauritania.svg Nouakchott, Mauritania 2008 attack on the Israeli embassy in Mauritania: Shots were fired at the embassy by members of Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb. Three local residents were wounded.Shootingnone
9 September 2011 Flag of Egypt.svg Cairo, Egypt 2011 attack on the Israeli Embassy in Egypt : Demonstrators protesting the deaths of Egyptian soldiers killed by the Israel Defense Forces in the course of counter-terrorist operations along their common border stormed the embassy. Only after US president Barack Obama's intervention did Egyptian security forces break through the crowds in order to rescue six Israeli security guards who were trapped inside.assaultnone
13 February 2012 Flag of India.svg New Delhi, India
Flag of Georgia.svg Tbilisi, Georgia
2012 attacks on Israeli diplomats : In New Delhi, a diplomat’s wife was wounded when a bomb exploded in her car while she was on her way to work. In Georgia, an embassy worker noticed a bomb attached to the bottom of his car and alerted authorities who dismantled the device before it was detonated.Bombingnone
14 February 2012 Flag of Thailand.svg Bangkok, ThailandThree separate blasts injured five people and blew the legs off one of the bombers, an Iranian national who was fleeing the scene of the attacks when a grenade he was holding slipped out of his hand and detonated beside him. Authorities believed that the intended targets were Israeli diplomatic facilities and personnel.Bombingnone
23 July 2017 Flag of Jordan.svg Amman, Jordan 2017 Amman incident : The deputy director of security of the embassy was attacked with a screwdriver. The official then shot and killed the attacker. A Jordanian landlord was also inadvertently shot and later pronounced dead. The attacker was a carpenter who came to install furniture at an apartment rented by the embassy either inside or near the embassy compound [18] Screwdriver attack2
13 October 2023 Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg Beijing, ChinaAn embassy employee was stabbed and injured by a foreign national. [19] Knife attacknone
31 January 2024 Flag of Sweden.svg Stockholm, SwedenA "live" and "dangerous object" was discovered outside the embassy by police and destroyed in a controlled detonation. [20] Attempted bombingnone
21 March 2024 Flag of the Netherlands.svg The Hague, NetherlandsA man was arrested after throwing a burning object at the embassy. [21] Arson attacknone
29 May 2024 Flag of Mexico.svg Mexico City, MexicoProtestors demonstrating against the Israel-Hamas War threw molotov cocktails at the embassy. [22] Arson attacknone
3 June 2024 Flag of Romania.svg Bucharest, RomaniaA man was arrested after throwing a molotov cocktail at the embassy. [23] Arson attacknone
29 June 2024 Flag of Serbia.svg Belgrade, Serbia 2024 attack on the Israeli embassy in Belgrade : A man injured a police officer guarding the Israeli embassy using a crossbow. The officer in turn shot dead the attacker. [24] Crossbow attack1 (perpetrator)
5 September 2024 Flag of Germany.svg Munich, Germany 2024 Munich shooting : A man accused of involvement in a terrorist organization opened fire at the Israeli consulate and the Munich Documentation Centre for the History of National Socialism before being shot dead by police. [25] Shooting1 (perpetrator)
1 October 2024 Flag of Sweden.svg Stockholm, SwedenUnidentified gunmen opened fire at the Israeli embassy. [26] According to Swedish security service SAPO, Iran may have been involved in both the 1 and 2 October attacks in Stockholm and Copenhagen. [27] Shootingnone
2 October 2024 Flag of Denmark.svg Copenhagen, DenmarkTwo hand grenades were detonated 100 meters away from the Israeli embassy, damaging a terrace of another building and resulting in the arrest of three Swedish nationals. [28] [29] According to Swedish security service SAPO, Iran may have been involved in both the 1 and 2 October attacks in Stockholm and Copenhagen. [27] Grenade attacknone

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References

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