Peekaboo

"The martyrdom of the southern Lebanese militant in an airstrike on Sour: Maha Abu Khalil… “the elegant plane hijacker”" published in Al-Akhbar by Marwa Jardi, Tuesday, 21 April, 2026 (1/2):
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From a courtroom in Athens to the rubble of Sour, the story of Maha Abu Khalil ends as it began: an open confrontation with the occupation. The southern militant, known for her calm and confident appearance during her trial, passed away at eighty, having combined armed struggle with humanitarian work—leaving behind a rare image of a woman who moved through time, the rifle, and memory, all the way to martyrdom.

Lebanon bid farewell to Maha Abu Khalil, daughter of the south, the “elegant plane hijacker” whose martyrdom was delayed by 57 years. She resisted "israel" with arms when she was a young woman not yet 23, and continued confronting it through institutional work until she reached eighty, when she was martyred in her city of Sour a few days ago as a result of the "israeli" aggression.

The end of a courageous woman

The Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine mourned, in a statement last Saturday evening, “the historic militant comrade, academic, and social figure Dr. Maha Abu Khalil,” from the town of Al-Qulayleh in the Sour district of southern Lebanon. She was killed as a result of what the statement described as a treacherous zionist attack on the city on Friday evening, April 17, just minutes before a ceasefire was announced, after four residential buildings were completely leveled.

The Front described Abu Khalil as “a model of the militant woman who combined intellect, national commitment, and social and educational work.”

Abu Khalil was martyred when the building she lived in in Sour was bombed, after she refused to leave her land despite the ongoing attacks. She was known for her constant presence in southern Lebanon, where she remained steadfast through repeated "israeli" wars. Two days after the strike, her body was recovered from beneath the rubble, where she had remained with the building’s residents until rescue teams were able to retrieve her.

Alongside the Front, the Imam Sadr Institutions also mourned her, noting that she “dedicated her life to serving the humanitarian mission of the institutions since the era of Imam Musa al-Sadr, becoming a model of commitment, devotion, and sincere giving.” She had headed the public relations and media office and contributed to strengthening the institutions’ presence and message, while continuing her humanitarian path through active work in the Friends of the Institutions Association. The institutions stated that with her passing, “they lose a luminous humanitarian and national figure, but her lasting impact and rich legacy will remain alive in hearts and memory.”

The struggle continues

After news of her martyrdom, many social media accounts reshared the famous footage of Maha Abu Khalil entering a courtroom in Greece in 1969, greeting the press while dressed elegantly and wearing a hat resembling European women’s fashion of that era—perhaps part of her disguise during the operation.

Many commentators praised her elegance and strength, to the point that scenes from her trial appeared like something out of a film rather than a dangerous militant operation. From this, the label “the elegant plane hijacker” became widespread. In the same footage appears Syrian lawyer and Minister of Justice Mohammad al-Fadel, who defended them before later being assassinated in 1977 while serving as president of Damascus University.

Maha had attempted, with two comrades from the Front, to hijack the "israeli" El Al plane at Athens International Airport in December 1969, aiming to negotiate a deal with 'Tel Aviv' to release Palestinian and Arab prisoners, including former Jordanian MP Mansour Seif al-Din Murad, as well as “Mandos,” an Armenian resistance member who participated in operations for Palestine at the time.

However, the attempt failed when the three were arrested after their weapons were discovered while boarding the plane bound for Rome, which carried 29 passengers.