Uganda has unveiled a statue of Yonatan Netanyahu, the older brother of Israel's prime minister, who was killed during the Entebbe hostage rescue mission 50 years ago. The statue, depicting Netanyahu striding forward with a machine gun, stands outside the old airport terminal where the rescue took place.

Uganda's army chief, Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba, said the monument honored Netanyahu's courage and selfless service. He described the mission as "one of the most significant episodes in modern history" and spoke of the now close ties between Uganda and Israel as a "remarkable journey."

Netanyahu was the only Israeli soldier killed in the raid, which rescued more than 100 hostages after two Palestinians and two Germans hijacked an Air France flight that had taken off from Tel Aviv and diverted it to Uganda's international airport. The operation was launched on 3 July when elite Israeli commandos landed at Entebbe after flying via Kenya, and it lasted less than 90 minutes.

During the operation, three hostages—Jean-Jacques Mimouni, Pasco Cohen, and Ida Borochovitch—also died. Additionally, Dora Bloch was later murdered in hospital in Kampala while being treated there. The hijackers and three accomplices who joined them in Uganda were killed, along with at least 45 Ugandan soldiers in the fighting.

Gen Kainerugaba expressed hope that "their memories continue to inspire future generations in the pursuit of peace, justice and human dignity."

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited Entebbe a decade ago, reflecting on his brother's legacy: "I learned from my brother that you need two things to defeat the terrorists: clarity and courage."

Sources