03 — OPERATION
Entebbe and Its Intelligence Context (1976)
The 1976 rescue of hostages at Entebbe was an Israeli military operation carried out with intelligence support. The chronology records it as redefining crisis-response expectations. The A–Z and source families treat the military event as documented while the intelligence preparation is only partially public.
Evidence Assessment
The hijacking, the rescue and the Israeli military operation.
Detailed intelligence preparation rests on published accounts and partial archival release.
Key Facts
- Date:
- July 1976
- Location:
- Entebbe, Uganda
- Result:
- Most hostages rescued
- Evidence:
- Operation documented; intelligence roles partly public
The rescue
After a flight was hijacked and diverted to Entebbe, Israeli commandos rescued the hostages. The operation is one of the most studied hostage-rescue cases in the public record.
Intelligence support
The encyclopedia's source guide notes that Israel State Archives material includes Entebbe documentation. The precise intelligence contributions are partly public and partly reconstructed from accounts of the period.