Key points
What to understand first
- The hijackers held Israeli and Jewish hostages after releasing most others.
- Israeli aircraft flew about 4,000 km to reach Entebbe.
- Most of the hostages were rescued in about 90 minutes on the ground.
- Unit commander Yonatan Netanyahu was killed leading the assault.
Chronology
Key dates
The hijacking
Flight 139 from Tel Aviv to Paris was seized after a stop in Athens and diverted to Uganda. 93
The rescue
Israeli transport planes landed at night. Soldiers stormed the old terminal, freed the hostages and flew them out. The Air France crew, who had chosen to stay with the hostages, were also rescued. 93
Why it matters
Entebbe showed what statehood meant: Jews in danger anywhere would no longer be defenceless.
Evidence
Sources for this article
- S93Entebbe raid
Encyclopaedia Britannica. Hijacking of Air France flight 139 and the Israeli rescue at Entebbe, 4 July 1976.