The Hijacking of the Achille Lauro

Overview

In 1985, four gunmen from the Palestine Liberation Front seized the Italian cruise ship *Achille Lauro*, demanding freedom for Palestinian prisoners held in Israel. The fate of the passengers—many of them Americans, including Jewish businessman Leon Klinghoffer—hung in the balance as the hijackers held the vessel hostage. The ordeal spiraled into a deadly international crisis, with the militants' actions drawing global condemnation and reshaping the course of Middle East diplomacy.