The night Israel refused to abandon its people

July 2026 marks the 50th anniversary of one of history’s most audacious hostage-rescue missions. Operation Entebbe was an extraordinary military achievement, but its significance extends well beyond the mechanics of the raid. It demonstrated what becomes possible when intelligence, leadership, courage and national purpose converge—and when a country decides that its citizens will not be abandoned to terrorists.

On 27 June 1976, Air France Flight 139 departed Tel Aviv for Paris via Athens. Shortly after leaving Athens, the aircraft was seized by two terrorists from the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine–External Operations and two West German members of the Revolutionary Cells.

The aircraft was diverted first to Benghazi, Libya, and then to Entebbe Airport in Uganda. There, the hijackers were joined by three additional terrorists and supported by the forces of Ugandan dictator Idi Amin. Amin presented himself theatrically as a mediator while allowing his country, airport and soldiers to facilitate the crime.

The terrorists demanded the release of 53 imprisoned militants, including 40 held in Israel. They threatened to begin murdering hostages if their demands were not met.

The terrorists eventually separated the Israeli passengers—and some non-Israeli Jews—from most of the other captives. For those subjected to that selection, conducted in part by German terrorists barely three decades after the Shoah, the historical resonance was unmistakable.

Most other passengers were released. The remaining 106 captives—94 passengers and the 12-member Air France crew—were held in the old airport terminal. Captain Michel Bacos and his crew remained with their passengers, an act of professional duty and moral courage that deserves to be remembered alongside the bravery of the rescuers.

For Israel’s leaders, the choices were agonising. Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, Defence Minister Shimon Peres and the military high command had to weigh the lives of the hostages against the dangers of capitulating to terrorism.

Recently declassified Israeli records reveal a more complex decision-making process than the simplified legend sometimes suggests. Negotiations continued while military options were developed. Israel’s willingness to negotiate helped secure an extension of the terrorists’ deadline, providing planners with precious time. The newly released records illuminate those deliberations in remarkable detail.

The proposed rescue appeared almost impossible. Entebbe was approximately 4,000 kilometres from Israel. The commandos would have to cross immense distances, land at night, locate and rescue the hostages, overcome both the terrorists and Ugandan soldiers, refuel and return home.

Yet Israel possessed several advantages: intelligence, disciplined forces, detailed planning and a national culture prepared to accept responsibility. The Israeli construction company Solel Boneh had built the terminal, providing access to valuable architectural information. Released hostages supplied further intelligence. The rescuers rehearsed against a partial model of the terminal, while discreet Kenyan assistance was secured for refuelling and medical support.

On the evening of 3 July, four Israeli C-130 Hercules aircraft departed for Uganda, supported by two Boeing 707s providing command and medical capabilities. Brigadier General Dan Shomron commanded the overall operation. The principal terminal-assault element was led by Lieutenant Colonel Yonatan “Yoni” Netanyahu, commander of the elite Sayeret Matkal unit.

Shortly before midnight, the first Hercules landed at Entebbe. A black Mercedes and accompanying Land Rovers emerged, intended to resemble Amin’s official motorcade. The deception enabled the commandos to approach the terminal before armed resistance began.

The Israelis moved decisively. Entering the terminal, they called upon the hostages in Hebrew and English to remain down. Within minutes, all seven terrorists had been killed and the surviving captives were being moved towards the aircraft. Other Israeli elements secured the airport, engaged Ugandan forces and destroyed Ugandan MiG fighters on the ground to prevent pursuit.

The mission rescued 102 hostages. Three—Jean-Jacques Maimoni, Pasco Cohen and Ida Borochovitch—were killed during the operation. Several others were wounded. Seventy-four-year-old Dora Bloch, who had earlier been taken to a Kampala hospital after becoming ill, was subsequently murdered by Amin’s forces.

Israel also paid a grievous military price. Yoni Netanyahu was fatally wounded while leading the assault and became the only Israeli soldier killed. His death gave the victory a human face: courage does not eliminate cost; it accepts risk in service of something greater.

Entebbe provides several enduring takeaways.

First, negotiation and force are not necessarily opposites. Responsible leaders preserve options, gather intelligence and use time purposefully. Israel negotiated while preparing to act.

Second, deterrence rests upon demonstrated will as well as capability. Entebbe told terrorist organisations and their sponsors that distance would not guarantee sanctuary.

Third, intelligence enables courage. The raid was not reckless improvisation. It was audacity built upon information, rehearsal, logistics and disciplined execution.

Fourth, sovereignty cannot become a shield for complicity in terrorism. Uganda was not an innocent bystander. Amin’s regime actively enabled the hostage-takers. Israel consequently argued that it possessed the inherent right to protect its citizens. Although Israel faced fierce criticism at the United Nations, the Security Council adopted no resolution condemning the operation. The debate remains preserved in the official UN record.

Finally, Entebbe affirmed the covenant between the State of Israel and its people. After centuries in which Jews were too often defenceless or abandoned, the Jewish state possessed both the capacity and determination to bring its people home.

Entebbe should not be reduced to mythology. It involved imperfect choices, extraordinary danger and painful loss. But its central message remains undiminished: terrorism must never be rewarded with helplessness, free nations require the courage to defend their citizens, and sometimes the distance between catastrophe and deliverance is crossed by those prepared to act.

Colonel Michael Scott CSC Ret’d is a former Australian army officer and the founder of The 2023 Foundation, an initiative dedicated to combating antisemitism.