Incident Overview
In 1976, a civilian passenger flight operated by Air France between Tel Aviv, Israel, and Paris, France, was hijacked. The hijacking occurred during a stopover in Athens, Greece. Four individuals—two from the Palestinian Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine – External Operations (PFLP–EO) and two from the German Revolutionary Cells (RZ)—took control of the aircraft.
Flight Diversion and Landing
The hijackers directed the flight to Libya, where it landed briefly, before proceeding to Uganda. The aircraft ultimately touched down at Entebbe International Airport. Upon arrival, additional terrorists joined the original hijackers. The group received support from Ugandan President Idi Amin, who was the country's dictator at the time.
Counter-Terrorist Operation
In response to the hijacking, Israel initiated a counter-terrorist mission codenamed Operation Thunderbolt, commonly referred to as the Entebbe raid. The operation was carried out by Israeli forces at Entebbe Airport.