Jerusalem ( CNN ) -- The family of one of the men who founded the Palestine Liberation Organization says they have always believed he was assassinated by Israel , and now they have proof . Israel 's censor is for the first time allowing a newspaper to publish a 12-year-old interview with the now-dead Israeli agent who claimed he killed Khalil al-Wazir , widely known as Abu Jihad . Abu Jihad helped found the Palestine Liberation Organization , or PLO , alongside the man who became the symbol of the Palestinian struggle , Yasser Arafat . Abu Jihad was killed by gunfire in Tunisia in 1988 , in a villa in Tunis . His wife witnessed the assassination . Murder inquiry launched in Arafat 's death . The Israeli daily newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth obtained access to an interview done with operative Nahum Lev , who died in 2000 . For 12 years the Lev interview -- done by reporter Ronen Bergman -- was kept from the public . The newspaper initially released a few of Lev 's reported quotes , including one in which he said he shot Abu Jihad with no hesitation after reading the file that Israeli intelligence had on him . He said what he read connected the Palestinian leader to horrific acts against civilians . Two bodyguards and a gardener were also shot and killed in the raid in Tunis . The newspaper said Mossad , IsraelÂ¹s famed intelligence agency , oversaw the assassination and Israel 's commando unit carried it out . The account by the Israeli operative gives an extremely rare glimpse into the details of an assassination and who was involved . More details of the interview are expected to be released . A family member of Abu Jihad who did not want to be identified told CNN , `` We already knew all the terrible details of his death . Knowing the name of the person who carried it out has no added value . '' Abu Jihad was instrumental in the first uprising against the Israeli occupation known as the first Intifada , which began in late 1987 . At the time of the assassination , the Israeli prime minister was Yitzhak Shamir . Ehud Barak who is now Israel 's defense minister , was Israel 's deputy chief of staff . The publication of the interview comes at an interesting time . This month French investigators are expected in Ramallah to look into the death of PLO leader Arafat . Arafat 's wife believes he was murdered -- questions were raised about how Arafat died after traces of polonium-210 , a highly radioactive element , were found on his personal belongings . Yasser Arafat died in a hospital in Paris , France in 2004 .
Abu Jihad was a co-founder of the Palestine Liberation Organization . He was killed by gunfire in 1988 , at a Tunisian villa . A now-dead Israeli agent claimed in an interview 12 years ago that he killed Abu Jihad . Israel 's censor is for the first time allowing the interview to be published .