Palestinians from the Black September movement took five coaches, two wrestlers and two weightlifters hostage, from the Israeli compound in the Olympic village on 5th September. 2 were killed.

During tense negotiations, in which the Israelis refused to negotiate with the terrorists, the Palestinians demanded the release of 234 Arab and German prisoners held in Israel and West Germany, in return for the release of the nine hostages.

As part of the apparent deal with the West Germans, the hostage takers and hostages were to be transferred to Furstenfeldbruck military airbase before boarding a jet to Cairo, where they were told they would meet the 234 released prisoners (Israel would never have agreed to this).

11pm on 5th September, a firefight between West German police and the hostage takers began at the airbase. By 1:30 am, on this day, all nine hostages had been killed, one policeman, 4 hostage takers were dead, and three were taken alive.

On October 29th, Palestinian terrorists hijacked a Lufthansa jet in Beirut and managed to negotiate for the release of the three terrorists being held in West Germany in exchange for the civilians and crew on board the plane.

In an operation launched soon after by Israeli secret service, Mossad, 2 of these hostages were killed.