Palestinians hand over suspect in 1982 attack on Jewish restaurant in Paris

France has arrested a 72-year-old man identified as a central figure in a 1982 assault on a Jewish eatery in Paris. The detainment occurred after Hicham Harb, whose full name is Mahmoud Khader Abed Adra, was transferred from the Palestinian National Authority to French custody. This transfer followed a formal request made in September by France’s National Anti-Terrorism Prosecutor’s Office (PNAT).

Details of the Attack

The attack targeted the Jo Goldenberg restaurant in the Jewish Marais district, resulting in six fatalities and over 20 injuries. The perpetrators first hurled a grenade into the premises before three men entered and opened fire on fleeing patrons. Harb is believed to have orchestrated the attack and participated as one of the shooters.

French President Emmanuel Macron praised the Palestinian Authority for its cooperation, calling the extradition “a concrete demonstration” of shared judicial efforts. This came after France formally recognized a Palestinian state in September 2025.

Legal Proceedings

The Court of Cassation, France’s highest judicial body, mandated a trial for six individuals linked to the attack. Three of these suspects remain at large, residing in the West Bank, Jordan, and Kuwait. Two have already been apprehended in France, including Abou Zayed, a Norwegian national suspected of being a gunman, and Hazza Taha, who allegedly concealed weapons used during the incident.

Abou Zayed’s legal representatives have refuted any involvement in the shooting. Meanwhile, Harb’s son, Bilal al-Adra, contested the extradition, arguing it lacked legal justification and ensured a fair trial. Despite this, Paris courts opted to process the case through a special tribunal rather than a jury.

“Faced with anti-Semitism and terrorism, France never forgets and never gives up,” said French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot, who had previously met with families of the victims. He emphasized his commitment to delivering justice, even four decades after the attack.

The assailants were tied to a Palestinian faction established by the militant Abu Nidal, who was killed in Iraq in 2002. This group, which split from the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), was responsible for numerous violent acts in the 1980s, including assassinations, hijackings, and attacks on airports and a Greek cruise ship, claiming over 900 lives.