On June 27th terrorists from the "Popular Resistance Movement" organization kidnapped an Air France airplane flying from Israel to Paris, when the plane made a midway stop in Athens, Greece. The plane landed in Entebbe, Uganda, where the passengers were held hostage. The terrorists demanded a ransom and a release of terrorists held prisoners in Israel in return for the kidnapped passengers. The government of Israel, led by Yitzhak Rabin, decided to launch a military operation to rescue the hostages. On July forth four Hercules planes landed in Entebbe, with vehicles, weapons, General Staff Reconnaissance Unit soldiers, Paratrooper forces, and Golani Brigade fighters. Two "Boing 707" planes also landed at the site, one containing medical equipment, and the other containing a command and control center.

 The General Staff Reconnaissance Unit force was disguised as the procession of the division's president, Idi Amin, and successfully infiltrated into the terminal where the hostages were being held. They released the hostages after several shooting combats with the terrorists and Ugandan soldiers. The hostages were released and flown back to Israel, but three hostages were killed in the operation as well as the General Staff Reconnaissance Unit Commander, Lieutenant Colonel Yoni Netanyahu.