On 27 June 1976, four terrorists from a splinter group of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, acting under the orders of Wadie Haddad, hijacked an Air France Airbus A300 in Athens and redirected the flight to Entebbe Airport in Uganda, with the blessing of Idi Amin. After the hijackers identified Israeli passengers, the non-Jewish travelers were freed while a renewed demand sheet took shape: the release of 40 Palestinian militants held in Israel, in exchange for the remaining hostages.
The Israeli Cabinet, led by Yitzhak Rabin, faced a crisis that demanded restraint and daring. Refusing to bend to the terrorists’ terms, Israel authorized a top-secret mission, a bold rescue operation named Operation Thunderbolt. The plan would take place thousands of miles from home, and crucially, on the Jewish Sabbath, underscoring the weight of faith and duty on the nation’s leaders.
Negotiations continued as the stake grew, with the hostage-takers increasing to seven individuals, including Palestinians and two Germans. The Israeli military prepared four Lockheed C-130 Hercules transports for the raid, while the operation’s command structure took shape. Leading the assault was [Brig. Gen Dan Shomron], and a key ruse was devised to gain the upper hand: a black Mercedes limousine, carried on board, would imitate the official vehicle allegedly accompanying the president, aiding the attackers’ perception of control and enabling a more covert breach.
The strike achieved near-total surprise, yet a firefight erupted, leaving seven terrorists and 45 Ugandan soldiers dead. Among the hostages, 102 moved toward safety as the operation progressed, though tragedy struck for Dora Bloch: she had been moved to Mulago Hospital in Kampala and was murdered by the Ugandans on Amin’s orders.
In a critical moment of the raid, the breach unit’s commander—Yonatan Netanyahu—was among those who fell, a blow felt deeply by the Israeli rescue effort and the nation alike. The mission did not end there: a small contingent of commandos remained to neutralize Ugandan air defenses, destroying MiG fighters to deter any possible retaliation.
With the threat finally contained, the surviving team members refueled in Nairobi—after securing permission from the Kenyan government—and then made their way back to Israel via Sharm El Sheikh, completing a high-stakes operation that would be remembered as a decisive, if costly, triumph.
Throughout the account, the operation is portrayed as a calculated blend of negotiation, stealth, and tenacious courage, driven by a clear objective: to bring home as many hostages as possible while preventing a broader regional catastrophe. The story is told with a measured tone, highlighting the difficult choices, the heavy price paid, and the persistence of a nation determined to avert tragedy on its own terms.
