After decades of disputes about compensation for the families left behind in the 1972 Olympic attack, the German government has reached an agreement with them. This was announced by government spokesman Steffen Hebestreit in Berlin.

In addition to the processing of the events by a German-Israeli historians' commission, the overall concept also included further "recognition services" by the federal government, the state of Bavaria and the city of Munich.

Poor safety precautions

On September 5, 1972, Palestinian terrorists attacked the Israeli team at the Olympic Games in Munich. Eleven members of the team and one policeman were killed. The safety precautions were considered inadequate, and an attempt by the German forces to free them ended in disaster. Adequate compensation for the families of the victims of the attack has been a struggle for decades. They also demand an apology.

In 1972 and 2002, Germany paid around 4.6 million euros as a humanitarian gesture for those affected. In addition, around half a million euros came from the National Olympic Committee and donations from the German Red Cross. In 1994, victims' families demanded 40 million marks (around 20.45 million euros) in damages in court, citing massive mistakes made during the police operation as the reason for this. The lawsuit failed due to the statute of limitations.