TOKYO: The Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) announced Thursday the passing of OKAMOTO Kozo, who participated in the 1972 Lod Airport attack in Israel and lived in Beirut’s southern suburb from 2000 until his death.

Okamoto stood as a powerful symbol in the worldwide struggle for justice, steadfast in his convictions. For decades, he championed the Palestinian cause, most notably through the Lod Airport attack, before passing away in Beirut, as the Popular Front expressed in their mourning statement.

Okamoto devoted his life to the Palestinian people, holding fast to his convictions until the end, the Front said.

Okamoto was born on December 7, 1947, in Kumamoto, southern Japan. He studied plants before joining the Japanese Red Army in 1966, a radical left-wing group that later connected with the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, led by Wadie Haddad.

Trained by the Front and given the code name “Ahmed,” Okamoto became one of the best-known foreign figures in the Palestinian fight to end Israeli occupation

Okamoto became known worldwide after joining Yasuyuki Yasuda and Okudaira Tsuyoshi in the Lod Airport attack (now Ben Gurion Airport) on May 30, 1972. Coming from Rome, the three hid automatic guns and grenades in their bags before opening fire in the arrivals hall.

The attack claimed the lives of 26 people and wounded 71 more, both Israelis and foreign nationals. It stood out as one of the era’s most violent operations. Some Palestinian sources pointed to Israeli forces as partly responsible for the casualties.

In the midst of the operation, Okamoto’s two companions were killed, while he himself was injured and captured.

The Front said Okamoto was arrested after the attack and spent about 13 years in Israeli prisons, mostly in solitary confinement. He was freed in 1985 as part of the “Galilee Operation” or “Jibril Deal” prisoner swap that freed more than a thousand Palestinian and Arab prisoners.

After his release, Okamoto traveled through Libya and Syria, eventually seeking sanctuary in Lebanon. In 1997, Lebanese authorities apprehended him and four other Japanese Red Army members for using forged documents, leading to prison terms for each.

Once their sentences ended, Okamoto’s comrades were deported to Japan. In 2000, the Lebanese government granted Okamoto political asylum, citing concerns he would face mistreatment if returned.

In Beirut, Okamoto led a quiet life under the care of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, shunning the spotlight and refraining from political activity until his passing.

Decades later, Okamoto was still considered a fugitive by Japanese authorities. The United States offered a five-million-dollar reward for information leading to his capture because of his involvement in the Lod Airport attack.

Okamoto’s name returned to the spotlight in 2022 when he made a rare public appearance at the Shatila camp in Beirut, commemorating the fiftieth anniversary of the operation.

Okamoto is regarded by Palestinians and many Arabs as a “hero,” while the Japanese government considers him a “terrorist.” Since his 1997 arrest and 2000 political asylum—the only such case granted in Lebanon—Japan repeatedly requested his extradition. The Lebanese government, under pressure, handed over four of his comrades but retained Okamoto due to his “history of struggle.”

Okamoto made a public appearance at the Shatila camp in 2022 during the commemoration of the fiftieth anniversary of the Lod Airport operation, where he placed a wreath on the memorial for his two comrades who died in the attack. His appearance coincided with Japan’s release of Fusako Shigenobu, known as “Maryam,” the leader of the Japanese Red Army, which included Okamoto and his associates involved in the Lod operation.

In its concluding statement, the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine reaffirmed its commitment to the “approach of internationalist struggle,” noting that Okamoto’s passing marks the loss of one of the most prominent supporters of the Palestinian cause.