Entebbe crisis: Learn about the 1976 counter-terrorism operation by Israeli commandos to rescue hijacked passengers at Entebbe Airport, Uganda.
The Israel State Archives has declassified thousands of pages of confidential documents related to the 1976 Entebbe hostage crisis, making them available…
The Entebbe Crisis refers to the events of June-July 1976, when an Air France flight from Tel Aviv to Paris, via Athens, was hijacked by Palestinian and German terrorists. The aircraft, carrying 248 passengers and 12 crew members, was diverted to Entebbe Airport in Uganda. The hijackers, associated with the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine – External Operations (PFLP-EO) and the German Revolutionary Cells, demanded the release of 53 militants held in various prisons around the world, primarily in Israel. They separated Israeli and Jewish passengers from the others, holding them hostage while releasing most of the non-Jewish passengers. This act of terrorism highlighted the vulnerability of international air travel and the complex geopolitical tensions of the era.
In response to the hostage situation, Israel launched a daring and complex counter-terrorism operation known as Operation Thunderbolt, later renamed Operation Entebbe. On the night of July 3-4, 1976, Israeli commandos flew over 2,500 miles to Entebbe, landing covertly at the airport. The operation, executed with speed and precision, involved a swift assault on the terminal building where the hostages were held. During the raid, all hijackers were killed, along with a number of Ugandan soldiers who resisted the Israeli forces. Tragically, three hostages, one Israeli commando (Yonatan Netanyahu, brother of Benjamin Netanyahu), and dozens of Ugandan soldiers lost their lives. The remaining 102 hostages were rescued and flown to safety. The Entebbe Crisis remains a significant event in counter-terrorism history, demonstrating Israel's resolve and capability to protect its citizens abroad. Readers can find detailed accounts and analyses of this historic event in the jnews.az section dedicated to the Entebbe Crisis.
