Force 17


Force 17 was a commando and special operations unit of the Palestinian Fatah movement and later of the Office of the Chairman of the Palestinian Authority. It was formed in the early 1970s by Ali Hassan Salameh. Initially, the group was housed in building 17 of Al-Fakhani Street in Beirut.

History

Force 17 was formed by Ali Hassan Salameh in the 1970s in an attempt to professionalize Fatah's intelligence services. Force 17 was also initially responsible for Yasser Arafat's personal security. Salameh is believed to have masterminded the 1972 Munich massacre and was assassinated in January 1979 by Mossad as part of Operation Wrath of God.

Dissolution

In 1994, the unit was largely absorbed into Yasser Arafat’s personal security force, the Palestinian Authority's "Presidential Security". In 2006, the unit was separated, to become the Presidential Guard as part of the Palestinian Security Services.
In 2007, a plan to dismantle the remnant of Force 17 and incorporate it into the Presidential Guard of President Mahmoud Abbas was unveiled by Ynet. The Force was merged into the Presidential Guard and the National Security Forces in December 2007.

Operations

According to most reports Force 17 was founded in the early 1970s by Ali Hassan Salameh. In 1979 Salameh and his bodyguards were assassinated in Beirut by Israeli intelligence.
Mahmoud Awad Damra reportedly commanded Force 17. In 2006, he was sentenced by an Israeli court to 15 years in prison for his role in planning several attacks against Israel. He was released as part of the Gilad Shalit prisoner exchange.