Operation Yonatan, also known as the Entebbe Raid, was a counter-terrorism hostage-rescue mission carried out by commandos of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) at Entebbe Airport in Uganda on July 4, 1976.
The Israel State Archives has declassified thousands of pages of confidential documents related to the 1976 Entebbe hostage crisis, making them available…
Operation Yonatan, also widely known as the Entebbe Raid, was a daring counter-terrorism hostage-rescue mission conducted by commandos of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) at Entebbe Airport in Uganda on July 4, 1976. The operation was launched in response to the hijacking of Air France Flight 139, an Airbus A300, which had been diverted to Entebbe by Palestinian and German terrorists. The hijackers held 106 Israeli and Jewish passengers hostage, demanding the release of 53 pro-Palestinian militants imprisoned in Israel and four other countries. The raid, executed over a meticulously planned 90-minute period, successfully rescued 102 of the 106 hostages. Tragically, three hostages were killed during the operation, and one other was later murdered by Ugandan forces. One Israeli commando, Lieutenant Colonel Yonatan Netanyahu, brother of future Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, was also killed, and the operation was later named in his honor.
The Entebbe Raid stands as one of the most audacious and successful hostage-rescue operations in military history, demonstrating Israel's commitment to protecting its citizens and its willingness to take decisive action against terrorism. The planning involved extensive intelligence gathering and reconnaissance, with the Israeli government initially attempting negotiations before concluding that a military solution was necessary. The raid's success significantly boosted Israeli morale and left a lasting impact on counter-terrorism strategies worldwide. This section of jnews.az offers a comprehensive look at Operation Yonatan, providing readers with detailed accounts of the events leading up to the hijacking, the intricate planning of the rescue mission, and the immediate aftermath, highlighting its enduring significance in Israeli and global history.
