HistoryData
war1985

Operation Wooden Leg — 1985 Israeli military operation in Tunisia

October 1, 1985

Israeli airstrike on PLO headquarters in Tunisia was the IDF's most distant known strike since the 1976 Entebbe raid, killing dozens and drawing UN condemnation.

Quick Facts

Year
1985
Category
war

Key Facts

Date
1 October 1985
Distance from launch point
1,280 miles (2,060 km)
Killed (range)
41–71 people
Injured (range)
65–100 people
UN condemnation date
4 October 1985

By the Numbers

1
Date
1,280
Distance from launch point
41
Killed (range)
65
Injured (range)

Location

Map of Hammam Chott, TunisiaMap of Hammam Chott, TunisiaHammam Chott, Tunisia

Cause → Event → Consequence

Cause

Israel targeted the Palestine Liberation Organization's headquarters in Hammam Chott, near Tunis, in response to PLO activities. The operation was the IDF's longest-range publicly known strike since the 1976 Entebbe raid, reflecting Israel's policy of pursuing adversaries across international borders.

Event

On 1 October 1985, Israeli aircraft conducted an airstrike on the PLO headquarters in Hammam Chott, Tunisia, a target located approximately 2,060 km from the operation's starting point. The strike killed between 41 and 71 people and injured between 65 and 100, with sources indicating 60–70 Palestinians and 25 Tunisians among the dead.

Consequence

On 4 October 1985, the United Nations Security Council formally condemned the airstrike. The operation heightened international tensions over Israeli military actions conducted on foreign soil and underscored the reach of IDF power-projection capabilities outside the immediate Middle East region.

Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis

Side A

1 belligerent

Israel (IDF)

Side B

1 belligerent

Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO)
Estimated Casualties71
Total Casualties (all sides)
71
Outcome
PLO headquarters struck and destroyed; 41–71 killed, 65–100 injured; operation condemned by UN Security Council on 4 October 1985.

Timeline Context

Timeline around 19851985198219831984198619871988World Chess Championship 1985 — competition for the world title in chess1985 FIFA World Youth Championship — Sports season1985 IAAF World Indoor Games — 1985 edition of the IAAF World Indoor Games1985–86 UEFA Cup — 15th season of Europe's secondary club football tournament organised by UEFANakba — expulsion and flight of 750,000 Palestinians during the 1948 Palestine war1985 Formula One World Championship — sports season1985 CONCACAF Championship — 1985 edition of the CONCACAF Championship association football competitionEuroBasket 1985 — edition of the basketball tournament of 1985operation-wooden-leg-1985-israeli-military-operation-in-tu-1985