Kōzō Okamoto, a former member of the Japanese Red Army, died in the suburbs of Beirut, Lebanon [1].
The death of the 78-year-old [1] marks the end of a decades-long evasion of international justice for one of the most notorious attacks linked to the group.
The Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) announced the death on July 23, 2026 [1]. Okamoto had lived in exile in Lebanon for years, remaining a fugitive from international law after his involvement in a mass shooting at Tel Aviv airport in 1972 [1].
During that 1972 attack, 24 people were killed and 76 others were injured [1]. The event remains one of the deadliest incidents of international terrorism from that era, cementing the Japanese Red Army's reputation for violent global operations.
Okamoto's legal status remained complex for years. He was eventually released in 1985 as part of a prisoner exchange [1]. Despite this release, he continued to be sought by authorities for his role in the airport massacre.
Japanese officials have responded cautiously to the news of his death. A spokesperson for the Japan National Police Agency said, "We are in the process of confirming the facts, and at this stage, we cannot comment on our future response" [1].
The Japanese Red Army was a far-left militant group that sought to spark a global revolution through strategic alliances with Palestinian militants. The 1972 Tel Aviv shooting served as a primary example of this cooperation, as the group operated in tandem with the PFLP to carry out the assault.
“Kōzō Okamoto, 78, was internationally wanted for a 1972 shooting at Tel Aviv airport.”
The death of Kōzō Okamoto closes a chapter on the Cold War-era intersection of Japanese radicalism and Middle Eastern conflict. Because he died while in exile and under the protection of allied militant factions, he never faced a final legal reckoning in a Japanese or Israeli court for the 1972 massacre. His passing highlights the enduring difficulty states face when pursuing non-state actors sheltered by foreign political entities.
