A rescue mission was performed in Uganda - 4,000 kilometers from Israel - on July 4th, 1976, for the liberation of 98 Jewish and Israeli hostages.
On June 27th, an Air France aircraft was hijacked by Palestinian and German terrorists. The hijackers landed the plane at Benghazi, Libya, and flew it from there to Entebbe in Uganda, where all non-Jewish passengers were freed. Israel had tried to develop a dialogue with Ugandan President Idi Amin, who collaborated with the terrorists. Simultaneously, preparations began for a military operation, based on intelligence regarding the situation in the Entebbe Airport.
Following the Government’s decision to go forward with the plan, four transport aircraft took off from Sharm el-Sheikh en route to Entebbe. The raid on the airport resulted in five Israeli casualties including IDF officer Yonatan (Yoni) Netanyahu (brother of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu). IDF Chief of Staff Mordechai Gur announced it at first as an emergency landing, but it seemed to have been coordinated with Kenyan President Jomo Kenyatta.
The operation was congruent with Israel’s policy not to negotiate with terrorists, whatever risks are at stake.
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