What is Operation Entebbe?
[[File:Operation Thunderbolt. IV.jpg|250px|thumb|Commandos from Sayeret Matkal with the black [[Mercedes]] [[limousine]] they used to deceive the Ugandans]] [[File:Entebbe Airport DF-ST-02-03027.jpg|thumb|[[Entebbe International Airport]]]] '''Operation Entebbe''', also known as '''Operation Jonathan''', was an Israeli [[hostage]] rescue mission. It took place in July 1976 in [[Entebbe]], [[Uganda]]. An [[Air France]] [[airplane]] was [[wikt:hijack|hijacked]] on 27 June 1976 by German and Palestinians who wanted the release of [[prison]]ers held in [[Israel]] and four other [[country|countries]]. Many of the hostages were later released but 106 Israelis and [[Judaism|Jews]] were still held. [[Israeli]] special forces planned and executed a daring long-range rescue of the remaining 106 [[passengers]] on 4 July 1976. 102 of the passengers were rescued. [[colonel|Lt Col]] [[Yonatan Netanyahu]], who led the mission, was the only rescuer to be killed in action. ==Hijacking== On 27 June 1976 [[Air France]] flight AF-139 was [[hijacking|hijacked]] by German and Palestinian hijackers. One third of the [[passengers]] on the [[airplane]] were [[Judaism|Jewish]]. Two of the hijackers were members of the [[Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine]] (PFLP). The other two were members of the [[Baader-Meinhof gang]] from [[Germany]]. The hijackers forced the plane to go to Entebbe. The plane landed at Entebbe at 3 AM on June 28th. Three more people joined the hijackers. At noon, the passengers were moved to an old [[Airport terminal|terminal building]]. [[Idi Amin]], [[dictator]] and [[President of Uganda]] went to the [[airport]] to meet with the hostages. He told them he was working to get them [[freedom|free]]. He said the [[military]] of Uganda was there to help keep them safe. The next day, the hijackers said that if 53 other [[terrorist]]s were not released from [[prison]]s, they would start killing the hostages. Of these 53 people, 13 were in prisons in [[France]], [[West Germany]], [[Kenya]], and [[Switzerland]