Libya notifies International Court of Justice of its intention to sue Israel over 1973 plane downing

TRIPOLI, Oct. 10 (YPA) – The Libyan Embassy in the Netherlands notified the Registry of the International Court of Justice of Libya’s intention to file a lawsuit against Israel regarding the downing of a Libyan plane over Sinai on February 21, 1973, which resulted in the death of 108 people.

The notification came in the form of an official letter from Ambassador Ziad Daghim to the Registrar of the Court on October 7, 2026, based on the violation of the 1971 Montreal Convention for the Suppression of Acts against the Safety of Civil Aviation.

The Embassy considered that the 2023 declassification of the minutes of meetings of the Israeli cabinet at that time contained relevant evidence.

It also emphasized that mentioning Israel for legal definition purposes does not constitute recognition or a change in Libya’s position on the conflict.