The operation was part of a string of Israeli assassinations of Palestinian figures in retaliation for the killings of 11 Israeli coaches and athletes at the 1972 Munich Olympics during a hostage-taking by the Palestinian group Black September. The boldness of the assassinations – by an Israeli team slipping in and out of Beirut with little resistance – stunned the Lebanese.

I saw their father in the synagogue last Shabbat. One of the girls walked by me several days ago.

“I’ve seen engineers with very high grades, certifications, and degrees, but they were lacking skills that are very important to the job market,” Prof. Ami Moyal, president of Afeka College of Engineering, says.

The New York Times on Saturday published an assessment it attributed to a Central Intelligence Update from March 1 that Mossad leadership had encouraged its staff and Israeli citizens to join the mass protests.