Kozo Okamoto, the Japanese militant convicted for his role in the 1972 attack at Lod Airport in Israel, has died at the age of 78. The assault killed 24 people and remains one of the most notorious attacks linked to the era's international militant violence.
Okamoto was sentenced in Israel to three life terms over the airport attack. According to the details available, he was later released after 13 years as part of a prisoner exchange deal.
In the years that followed, Okamoto remained a divisive figure. The trimmed report says he became a celebrated symbol among some supporters, underscoring how the legacy of the attack continued to resonate far beyond Israel and Japan.
His last public appearance was reported in 2022, when he attended a ceremony in Lebanon marking the 50th anniversary of the Lod Airport attack. His death closes a chapter tied to one of the deadliest airport attacks of the early 1970s.
