1979 Prisoner Exchange: 76 Palestinian Detainees Freed After the Litani Operation
Part of the series Palestinian Prisoner Exchange Deals 1968–2025: Every Deal in Numbers Part 7 of 14On 14 March 1979 Israel freed 76 Palestinian detainees, among them 12 girls, in return for the reserve soldier Abraham Amram, captured by the Popular Front – General Command in the Litani operation on 5 April 1978. The exchange took place in Cyprus through the Red Cross. [1][2]
Contents
- The deal at a glance
- The Litani operation and the deal
- Timeline
- Frequently asked questions about the 1979 exchange
The deal at a glance
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Date of the deal | 14 March 1979 |
| Captor | The Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine – General Command |
| Operation | The Litani operation, 5 April 1978 |
| Freed | 76 detainees from various factions, among them 12 girls |
| In return | The reserve soldier Abraham Amram |
| Place of exchange | Cyprus, through the Red Cross |
The Litani operation and the deal
The Popular Front – General Command captured Amram in the Litani operation on 5 April 1978, which Al Jazeera Net describes as an ambush of an Israeli truck near Tyre. [1][2]
About eleven months later, on 14 March 1979, Israel freed 76 detainees from all the factions of the Palestinian revolution, 12 of them girls. Among the women freed was Afifa Hanna Banoura from Beit Sahour. The exchange took place in Cyprus through the Red Cross. [2][1]
Timeline
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| 5 April 1978 | The Litani operation and the capture of Abraham Amram [2] |
| 14 March 1979 | 76 detainees freed in return for Amram, in Cyprus [1] |
Frequently asked questions about the 1979 exchange
How many prisoners were freed in the 1979 deal?
76 Palestinian detainees from various factions, among them 12 girls. [1][2]
Who captured the soldier?
The Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine – General Command in the Litani operation. [2]
Where did the exchange take place?
In Cyprus through the Red Cross according to Al Jazeera Net. [1]
Sources and references
Parts of the series
14 parts- 01 Wafa al-Ahrar Deal 2011: 1,027 Prisoners Freed for Gilad Shalit
- 02 The 1985 Galilee Deal: 1,155 Prisoners for Three Soldiers
- 03 The 2023 Truce Exchange: 240 Palestinian Prisoners in Seven Days
- 04 Tufan al-Ahrar Deal 2025: 1,777 Palestinian Prisoners Freed for 33 Israelis
- 05 October 13, 2025 Prisoner Exchange: 1,968 Palestinian Prisoners Freed
- 06 1968 Prisoner Exchange: The First Palestinian Deal After the El Al Hijacking to Algeria
- 07 1979 Prisoner Exchange: 76 Palestinian Detainees Freed After the Litani Operation
- 08 1983 Prisoner Exchange: Ansar Detainees and 65 Prisoners Freed for Six Soldiers
- 09 2009 Video Deal: 20 Palestinian Women Prisoners Freed for the Gilad Shalit Tape
- 10 1970 Exchange: Leila Khaled Freed After the El Al Hijacking and London Landing
- 11 1971 Exchange: First Prisoner Mahmoud Bakr Hijazi Freed for Soldier Shmuel Fayz
- 12 1980 Exchange: Mahdi Bseiso and William Nassar Freed in Return for Amina al-Mufti
- 13 1997 Deal: Sheikh Ahmad Yassin Freed After the Failed Attempt on Khaled Meshaal
- 14 1949 Exchanges: The Faluja, Lebanon and Syria Deals After the 1948 War
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