On July 4, 1976, while Americans celebrated their Independence Day, Israel was executing one of the most audacious military rescues the world had ever seen. In just 90 minutes, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) pulled off a mission so daring, so precise, that it still leaves military strategists in awe.
A hijacked plane. 106 hostages. Thousands of miles from home. And a small group of elite Israeli commandos willing to defy all odds to bring their people back alive.
This is how Israel did the impossible.
The Hijacking: A Jewish Target
On June 27, 1976, Air France Flight 139 took off from Tel Aviv, heading for Paris with a stop in Athens. The passengers were mostly Israelis and Jews.
In Athens, four hijackers—two from the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine - External Operations (PFLP-EO) and two from Germany’s Revolutionary Cells (RZ)—boarded the plane with concealed weapons. Shortly after takeoff, they hijacked the aircraft and diverted it to Benghazi, Libya, for refueling before heading to Entebbe, Uganda.
The terrorists chose Uganda because they knew they would have the backing of its brutal dictator, Idi Amin, a man who admired Hitler and had no qualms about collaborating with terrorists.
After landing at Entebbe Airport, the hijackers issued their demands: The release of 40 Palestinian prisoners from Israel and 13 more from other countries. If their demands weren’t met, the hostages would be executed.
Two days later, the terrorists separated the Jewish and Israeli passengers from the others—a Nazi-style selection. The non-Jews were released, while 106 hostages remained, including the Air France crew, who bravely refused to abandon their passengers.
For Israel, there was no question: They had to act.
Israel’s Decision: Fight or Surrender?
Most governments would have caved to the terrorists' demands or wasted time with diplomacy. Israel was different.
Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin and Defense Minister Shimon Peres faced an agonizing decision. The hostages were more than 2,500 miles away in hostile territory, guarded by heavily armed terrorists and Ugandan soldiers. The world expected Israel to negotiate.
Instead, Israel prepared for war.
The Plan: A Suicide Mission?
With less than a week to plan, Israel's military strategists devised a seemingly impossible operation. The IDF’s elite Sayeret Matkal unit, led by Lt. Col. Yonatan “Yoni” Netanyahu, was chosen to lead the assault.
The plan was simple in theory but incredibly dangerous in execution:
Fly four Hercules transport planes into Uganda undetected.
Land under cover of darkness at Entebbe Airport.
Storm the terminal, kill the terrorists, and rescue the hostages.
Destroy Ugandan MiG fighter jets to prevent pursuit.
Get everyone out before Ugandan reinforcements arrived.
To trick Ugandan soldiers, the commandos even brought a black Mercedes, identical to the one Idi Amin used, hoping it would allow them to approach the terminal unnoticed.
If the mission failed, Israel wouldn't just lose its best soldiers—the world would see Israel as weak and vulnerable. But failure wasn't an option.
The Execution: 90 Minutes of Chaos and Heroism
On the night of July 3, the Israeli planes took off, flying low over the Red Sea to avoid radar detection. After nearly eight hours in the air, they landed at Entebbe Airport just after midnight on July 4.
As planned, the first group of commandos drove toward the terminal in the black Mercedes. For a brief moment, the Ugandan guards hesitated. Then, realizing it was a trick, they opened fire.
The Israelis responded with lethal precision. The first terrorist was killed within seconds. The commandos stormed the terminal, shouting in Hebrew, "Get down! We are Israeli soldiers!"
The hostages, stunned and terrified, didn't immediately move. The terrorists began shooting. In the crossfire, three hostages were killed.
Yoni Netanyahu, the commander of the operation, was mortally wounded outside the terminal—he was the only Israeli soldier killed in the raid.
Within minutes, all seven terrorists were dead. The remaining hostages were quickly rushed onto the Israeli planes.
But the mission wasn’t over yet.
As the commandos prepared for takeoff, Ugandan soldiers fired on them. The Israelis retaliated, killing dozens of Ugandan troops and destroying 11 Ugandan MiG-17 fighter jets to ensure a safe escape.
Just 90 minutes after landing, the Israeli planes took off—hostages on board, mission accomplished.
The Aftermath: A Lesson to the World
The final toll:
102 hostages rescued
3 hostages killed during the operation
1 Israeli soldier killed: Yoni Netanyahu
7 terrorists killed
Over hundred Ugandan soldiers dead
Uganda’s Idi Amin was humiliated. In a rage, he ordered the murder of Dora Bloch, a 75-year-old Israeli hostage who had been taken to a Ugandan hospital before the raid. It was a final act of cruelty from a dictator who had bet on the wrong side of history.
The world was in shock. Israel had done what no other nation dared to do—rescue its people from thousands of miles away, inside a hostile nation, under the nose of an enemy dictator.
The mission was originally named Operation Thunderbolt, but after Yoni Netanyahu’s death, it was renamed Operation Yonatan in his honor.
Why Entebbe Still Matters
The lesson of Entebbe is as relevant today as it was in 1976.
Terrorists don’t respect diplomacy. They don’t care about negotiations. The only thing they understand is strength.
Israel showed the world that appeasement isn’t the answer—action is.
And for Jews everywhere, Entebbe remains a symbol of what it means to be Israeli: To fight back. To protect our people. To do whatever it takes, no matter the odds.
The spirit of Entebbe still burns bright. Because as long as there are those who seek to harm us, Israel will be there to remind them:
We don’t negotiate with terror. We destroy it.
May the memory of Yoni Netanyahu and the heroes of Entebbe live on forever.
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Thanks!
Kind Regards,
Sharon
I stand with Israel. No negotiation with terrorist. Destroy it!
Wow! What an amazing and miraculous piece of your proud history.
This is awesome. I Stand With Israel
Wow. I never knew this movie-like heroism happened in my east africa. I cant beleive Uganda allow them (the hijackers) to land.