Israel’s Foreign Ministry on Saturday marked the 50th anniversary of “Operation Entebbe,” in which 102 hostages were rescued from Uganda.
On June 27, 1976, Palestinian and German terrorists hijacked an Air France flight en route from Tel Aviv to Paris, carrying 248 passengers.
The terrorists separated the Israeli and Jewish passengers from the other hostages.
Israel ultimately agreed to enter negotiations to buy time while simultaneously preparing the rescue mission that culminated in the successful raid on Entebbe Airport in the early hours of July 4, 1976.
On X, the ministry wrote: “Israel refused to surrender to terror, flying over 4,000 kilometers [~2,485 miles] to bring its people home. Three hostages and the operation’s commander, Lt. Col. Yonatan Netanyahu, were killed.”
On July 4, 1976, Israel rescued 102 hostages in the historic Entebbe operation after Palestinian and German terrorists hijacked Air France Flight 139.
— Israel Foreign Ministry (@IsraelMFA) July 4, 2026
The terrorists diverted the plane to Uganda, separated the Israeli and Jewish passengers from the other hostages.
Israel… pic.twitter.com/xbNJFHLko9
Yonatan “Yoni” Netanyahu, 30, the older brother of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, was the commander of the Israel Defense Forces’ elite Sayeret Matkal (General Staff Reconnaissance) unit and the only Israeli soldier killed in the operation.
The daring mission, originally code-named “Operation Thunderbolt” and later dubbed “Operation Entebbe” by the media, was renamed “Operation Yonatan” in his honor.
