The First Tyre Disaster, in which a deadly explosion rocked Israel’s headquarters in the Lebanese city in 1982, may have been a result of terrorism, Israel’s defense establishment said in a statement on Saturday.
Further, the IDF, Shin Bet and Israel Police will convene a commission of inquiry into the disaster more than 40 years after it occurred, they announced.
Israel’s defense establishment announced late last year that it was reopening the probe into the incident, out of respect for the fallen and in the pursuit of the truth.”
The disaster killed 76 Israelis and 14 Lebanese. It was initially found by an official IDF commission of inquiry to have been caused by a gas leak that led to an explosion that collapsed the building.
Yahtza National Search and Rescue reserve unit 521 (credit: IDF Spokesperson Unit)IDF: New findings strengthen possibility of terror involvement
Following the initial reopening of the probe, the defense establishment announced that an internal IDF probe recommended opening an official commission of inquiry, after new evidence found “strengthened the possibility that the building’s collapse could have been due to terrorist activities.
The commission, whose members will be appointed by the IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Herzi Halevi in cooperation with Shin Bet director Ronen Bar and Israel Police chief Kobi Shabtai will be led by Maj.-Gen (res.) Amir Abulafia, the Israeli military said.
The commission will examine the evidence gathered during the course of the probe conducted over the past few months and will submit a conclusion into the circumstances behind the deadly incident in Lebanon.
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