Secret files reveal the confusion and pressure behind the Entebbe rescue

Fifty years after the Entebbe raid, Israel’s State Archives has released thousands of pages of secret minutes, cables, handwritten notes, and internal documents from the week between the Air France hijacking and the rescue in Uganda. The files show how Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, his ministers, and security chiefs struggled with uncertainty, pressure from families, and a worsening diplomatic and military picture.

The first cabinet discussion began on June 27, 1976, after Rabin was told that an Air France flight from Lod to Athens had likely been hijacked after leaving Athens. At that stage, Jerusalem knew little about where the plane was headed, who was behind the operation, or what the hijackers wanted. Rabin initially tried to make France responsible for the passengers’ fate, insisting in writing that there was “no need” for internal secrecy measures and that France should bear responsibility for the Israelis aboard the plane.

The documents show a fierce debate over whether to negotiate, release prisoners, or prepare a military operation. Rabin convened a special ministerial team, which met 18 times, and considered scenarios ranging from the plane landing in Israel to a rescue in Uganda. Defense Minister Shimon Peres warned against surrendering to demands, while Rabin told ministers, “How do we even get to Uganda?” and said the aim was to save the hostages, not launch a military act. Peres also suggested sending 12 undercover fighters to Kenya if a raid became likely.

One major fear was that the hijackers would identify the Israelis and Jews on board. Israel pressed France not to publish passenger lists and not to allow any separation between passengers. France eventually accepted responsibility for the passengers’ safety, while Libya first refused to refuel the plane, then relented after hijacker threats. The archives also include unusual conversations with Ugandan ruler Idi Amin, who told a former Israeli officer that the answer was to “release all their demands.”

Only on July 3 did the government approve the final rescue plan. Rabin stressed that only the full cabinet could make such a decision, and Peres acknowledged that civilians were being put at risk. The operation went ahead on July 4, 1976, when Israeli aircraft reached Entebbe and Sayeret Matkal stormed the terminal. Four hostages were killed, and the unit’s commander, Lt. Col. Yonatan Netanyahu, was also killed. The newly opened records show how far from inevitable the success had been.