Archive · 14 Jun 2025
Entebbe Rescue: Israel's Daring Raid to Save Hostages
Imagine a plane full of people flying from Israel when bad guys took it over and flew it to Uganda.
These bad guys wanted their friends released from prison.
The Israeli government decided they had to save the people on the plane, so they planned a secret rescue mission.
A group of soldiers flew all the way to Uganda in the middle of the night and snuck into the airport.
They surprised the bad guys, got most of the people out safely, but sadly, one of the soldiers in charge was killed.
After that, Uganda got angry and hurt some innocent people in revenge.
In 1976, an Air France flight from Tel Aviv was hijacked and diverted to Entebbe Airport in Uganda.
The hijackers, affiliated with the PFLP and Baader-Meinhof Gang, demanded the release of prisoners.
Israel launched a daring night-time raid, Operation Thunderbolt, to rescue the hostages.
The Israeli commandos killed the hijackers and freed most of the hostages, but lost Lt. Col. Yonatan Netanyahu.
After the raid, Uganda and Idi Amin retaliated against hostages and those suspected of helping Israel.
- Who
- Israeli commandos, hijackers, and hostages aboard the Air France flight.
- What
- An Israeli military operation to rescue hostages from a hijacked plane.
- When
- July 4, 1976
- Where
- Entebbe Airport, Uganda
- Why
- To rescue Israeli and Jewish hostages held by hijackers.
- Date of Hijacking
- June 27, 1976
- Flight Origin
- Tel Aviv to Paris
- Number of Hostages
- Over 100 Israelis/Jewish passengers
- Number of Hijackers
- 4
- Operation Name
- Operation Thunderbolt (later Yonatan)
- Israeli Fatalities
- 1
- Hostages Killed
- 3
- Ugandan Retaliation
- Murder of hostages, Kenyan citizens