Jerusalem — Israel on Friday declassified a collection of documents detailing the decision-making process behind the 1976 Entebbe hostage rescue operation, shedding new light on the planning and execution of the mission. The raid, which took place at Entebbe Airport in Uganda, rescued more than 100 passengers held captive by Palestinian and German militants with support from Ugandan forces.
The hostage crisis began when members of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine and Germany’s Revolutionäre Zellen hijacked an Air France flight traveling from Tel Aviv to Paris. After a stopover in Athens, they diverted the flight to Entebbe, where they took 106 people hostage, most of whom were Israeli or Jewish. The militants demanded the release of prisoners from multiple countries and threatened to kill hostages if their demands were not met by a self-imposed deadline.
The classified files, released ahead of the raid’s 50th anniversary on July 3, reveal insights into the internal debates of then-Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin’s crisis team. Initially resistant to negotiations, Israeli officials grappled with whether to engage the hostage-takers or to plan a high-risk military rescue mission involving a long-range flight over several hostile nations.
As the crisis extended over six days and mounting pressure from hostages’ families intensified, Israel’s leadership became increasingly open to talks while simultaneously preparing for a military operation. One memo cited in the documents acknowledges the urgency to “break the ultimatum” and authorizes negotiations on some conditions.
Contrary to popular belief that Entebbe marked a clear shift from negotiation to military action, the files indicate that Israel pursued a dual approach. French-led diplomatic efforts with Ugandan President Idi Amin continued alongside covert preparations for the commando raid. Israeli forces gathered blueprints of Entebbe Airport and staged transport planes in Kenya, readying for a nighttime assault.
When the operation commenced, Israeli commandos stormed the airport, killing all hijackers and dozens of Ugandan soldiers while sustaining minimal casualties. Three hostages died during the confrontation. The sole Israeli commando killed was Yonatan Netanyahu, elder brother of later Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
The raid drew condemnation from Idi Amin and the Organization of African Unity—the predecessor to the African Union—for violating Uganda’s sovereignty despite ongoing negotiations. Nonetheless, the mission was widely hailed in Israel as a bold success and a stark contrast to the tragic failure of the 1972 Munich Olympic hostage crisis.
The documents also include Rabin’s reflections cautioning that while the operation was a notable achievement, the broader struggle against terrorism persisted. “We have finished one battle, but the war continues,” he wrote, recognizing that significant challenges remained even after the dramatic rescue.