Operation Entebbe, July 4, 1976
On July 4, 1976, an Air France flight was hijacked and 103 hostages, many of them Israeli citizens, were held at Entebbe Airport in Uganda.
Lt. Col. Yonatan “Yoni” Netanyahu, commander of Sayeret Matkal, led the daring rescue mission known as Operation Thunderbolt.
On the flight to Entebbe, in a C-130 Hercules under cover of night, Yoni wrote a short note to his family. It showed the calm and conviction he carried into battle:
My dearest family,Â
I am writing to you from the plane on our way to Entebbe.
We are about to carry out the mission to rescue the hostages.
I feel calm and confident.
I love you all very much.
Your Yoni.
The raid was a success and 102 hostages were rescued. Yoni Netanyahu fell in action during the operation. He was 30.
His words and sacrifice remain a symbol of Courage, Honor and Sacrifice.
The above article was written by Lt Col Rtd Dr. Kato Damiano Abooki
