On March 18, 1985, the Italian cruise ship Achille Lauro was hijacked by Palestinian terrorists who demanded the release of imprisoned militants. The hijackers killed an American passenger, Leon Klinghoffer, and threw his body overboard, causing international outrage. After several days of negotiations, the hijackers were captured when Egypt allowed the plane carrying them to land in Cairo, where they were arrested. The incident heightened tensions between Israel and Palestine and led to a reevaluation of security measures for international shipping. The hijacking of Achille Lauro remains a defining moment in modern maritime terrorism.