Theresa Halsa, last of the 1972 Sabena hijackers, dies age 65

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who was a special operations soldier at the time, was wounded in the Israeli rescue operation which followed the hijacking.

A member of the Palestinian terrorist group Black September appears on the balcony of the Israeli house at the Munich Olympic village on September 5, 1972 (photo credit: AFP PHOTO)
A member of the Palestinian terrorist group Black September appears on the balcony of the Israeli house at the Munich Olympic village on September 5, 1972
(photo credit: AFP PHOTO)
Palestinian terrorist Theresa Halsa, who was the last surviving member of the Black September group that hijacked Sabena flight 571 in 1972, died from cancer at age 65 in Jordan on Saturday. 
Halsa was the fourth member of the terror cell that hijacked the flight as it was headed from Brussels via Vienna to Lod Airport, now called Ben-Gurion Airport. 
After taking control of the aircraft and its passengers, the group began negotiations for the release of hundreds of Palestinian inmates then in Israeli prison. 
In response, Israel sent Sayeret Matkal, an IDF special forces unit, on  a rescue mission. On May 9, the soldiers, one of whom was now-Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, apprehended Halsa. During the mission, Netanyahu's arm was injured by friendly fire. 
The operation ended with two of the terrorists, Ali Taha Abu Snina and Abed al-Aziz Atrash, dead and the other two, Rima Tannous and Halsa, captured. One passenger was killed during the operation, all the others were rescued. 
The female terrorists were imprisoned and eventually released in 1979 in a prisoner exchange deal. 
Halsa continued to speak in support of the armed Palestinian struggle until her passing.