LONG ISLAND, NY (VINnews)- Former Israeli general and paratroop commander Matan Vilnai is reflecting on his role in the historic 1976 Entebbe hostage rescue, offering a firsthand account nearly 50 years after the daring operation.
In an interview with Alan Skorski, Vilnai recalled the events surrounding the hijacking of an Air France flight on June 27, 1976, by members of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine and two German militants. The aircraft was diverted to Entebbe Airport in Uganda after stops in Athens and Libya.
The hijackers demanded the release of 53 prisoners held in Israel, Kenya and West Germany. After diplomatic efforts failed, Israel approved a long-range military rescue mission.
On July 3, four C-130 Hercules transport aircraft carrying more than 100 Israeli commandos departed for Uganda on a roughly seven-hour flight. The mission received final government approval while the aircraft were already en route. Israeli forces stormed the terminal shortly after landing on July 4, rescuing more than 100 hostages in less than an hour.
Three hostages were killed during the operation, while a fourth, Dora Bloch, was later murdered by Ugandan forces after remaining hospitalized in Kampala. The raid’s commander, Yonatan Netanyahu, was the only Israeli soldier killed. The mission, originally named Operation Thunderbolt, was later renamed Operation Yonatan in his honor.
During the interview, Vilnai discussed where he was when news of the hijacking broke, the planning behind the rescue, the uncertainty surrounding the mission’s chances of success, and the lessons he believes continue to resonate decades later.
The interview also explores who Vilnai credits for the operation’s success and offers a behind-the-scenes look at one of the most celebrated hostage rescue missions in military history.
Watch the interview for the real inside story of how the entire operation unfolded from beginning to end, and whom General Vilnai credits for the success of the mission, and what was the most important lesson learned from Entebbe.
Note: General Vilnai is featured on the far right of the ramp by the Black Mercedes as they rolled the car back out onto the tarmac upon their safe return to Israel.