On June 8, 1967, during the Six-Day War, the United States Navy technical research ship USS Liberty (AGTR-5) was attacked in international waters of the eastern Mediterranean Sea by Israeli Air Force jet aircraft and Israeli Navy torpedo boats.
The USS Liberty was a lightly armed intelligence-gathering vessel operated by the U.S. Navy and the National Security Agency (NSA). At the time of the attack, it was clearly marked as a U.S. ship, flying an American flag, and was approximately 13 nautical miles off the coast of the Sinai Peninsula.
The attack occurred in multiple phases over roughly two hours and included aerial strafing, rocket fire, napalm deployment, and a torpedo strike that hit the ship’s starboard side. One torpedo caused severe structural damage and heavy casualties. Israeli naval forces later approached the ship and withdrew after identifying it as American.
As a result of the attack, 34 U.S. crew members were killed (31 sailors and 3 Marines) and 171 were wounded. The ship was severely damaged but did not sink. No Israeli personnel were injured.
Israel stated the attack was a case of mistaken identity, claiming the USS Liberty was misidentified as an Egyptian vessel during wartime operations. The United States government accepted Israel’s explanation following multiple investigations, including a U.S. Navy Court of Inquiry. Israel issued a formal apology and paid compensation to the victims and the U.S. government.
Survivors of the USS Liberty and some former U.S. officials have disputed the mistaken identity explanation, citing surveillance duration, attack methods, and the ship’s markings. Calls for further investigation have continued for decades, though no additional official U.S. inquiry has reversed the original conclusions.
