One by one, the terrorist commander called out the names.

"Hanna Cohen," he announced sternly. "Ezra Almog...Dora Bloch." After five or six names, the group began to understand the pattern - these were the names of the Israeli and Jewish passengers aboard Air France Flight 139, now sitting helplessly at the Entebbe Airport in Uganda, central Africa. More than 100 Jews were separated from the others and forced into a small room in the old abandoned terminal. At that moment, they were no longer passengers; they were suddenly hostages.

"This Plane Has Been Hijacked"

The ordeal had started out innocently enough two days earlier on June 27, 1976. After a smooth take off from Israel's Ben-Gurion Airport, the first part of the flight was uneventful. But when four newcomers - three men and one woman - boarded the plane during a layover in Athens, Greece, some Israeli passengers grew anxious. The passengers' intuition was well-founded. Within minutes of takeoff, these four seized control of the plane, waving grenades and revolvers. A triumphant voice announced on the loudspeaker, "This is Captain Basil el-Koubeisi of the Che Guevara Force, the Gaza Commando of the Palestine Liberation Forces. This plane has been hijacked."

The hijackers forced the plane to land at Benghazi Airport in Libya for refueling. During the six-hour layover, the terrorists confiscated all passenger identification papers - passports, driver's licenses, identity cards, and military identification - tools later used for singling out the Jews. The plane took off again, and the flight seemed endless. After five hours, the terrorist commander informed the exhausted passengers, "We will be landing in a few minutes at Entebbe Airport in Uganda." Six more terrorists met the hijacked plane when it landed.

How Will Israel Respond?

On that same day, Israel's Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin received a demand from the hijackers to release 40 terrorists being held in Israeli prisons. Rabin privately consulted his Cabinet about developing military plans to free the hostages. Israel, after all, had a policy of not negotiating with terrorists. General Motta Gur, chief of staff of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), wasted no time. He assembled a top-secret team that began planning a rescue operation that would take place 2,500 miles away, Israel's intelligence agency, the Mossad, quietly started gathering every bit of information it could about the layout of Entebbe Airport. Only a few select people knew that Israel was developing a bold military plan.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Rabin made a surprising announcement that Israel would enter negotiations with the terrorists. His decision shocked and angered many people, but Rabin insisted repeatedly that Israel had not reversed its longstanding policy of never negotiating with terrorists. What the world didn't know was that Israel desperately needed time.

While the full story would not be known until later, many of the hostages, despite suffering from food poisoning, behaved courageously during the crisis. Seventeen-year-old Jean Jacques Maimoni found ways to keep the smaller children occupied with games. Nurse Hanna Cohen helped ease the suffering of those around her. The captives helped each other get through each terrifying day, well aware that any moment might be their last.

A Spectacular Plan Takes Shape

The life or death situation forced military officials to work around the clock. Eventually, four rescue plans were submitted to the Cabinet. One plan, later named Operation Thunderbolt, gained momentum when Defense Minister Shimon Peres and General Gur supported it. Thunderbolt was breathtaking in its scope. A large strike force of paratroopers, accompanied by military doctors, would have to fly undetected for seven hours and land unnoticed in the heart of Entebbe Airport. The dramatic operation would require split-second timing, and the military planners worked tirelessly on all of the intricate details. Because Israel was 2,500 miles from Entebbe, no one expected an Israeli raid. The element of surprise would be crucial to the success of the mission.

The final planning for Operation Thunderbolt accelerated on July 3, which was a Shabbat. After hours of painstaking rehearsals, seven IDF groups from three elite commando units were issued orders: Take off for Entebbe and bring the hostages home alive. The lead plane carried several vehicles that would be needed on the ground: a black Mercedes Benz limousine, jeeps, and Land Rovers. The selection of the Mercedes was intentional. The Ugandan dictator, Idi Amin, was chauffeured around in a black Mercedes, and the IDF hoped that Israeli commandos, once they landed, could drive from the plane to a well-guarded airport security tower without arousing suspicion. The limousine's occupants, including Lt. Col. Yonatan "Yoni" Netanyahu, who was the field commander, wore Ugandan military shirts and black makeup on their face and hands. The limo ruse worked beautifully, and the airport tower was secured effortlessly.

Rescue and Homeward Bound

Three other IDF planes landed in rapid succession. Well-trained paratroopers moved quickly to carry out their assignments. Ninety perilous minutes after landing at Entebbe, Israeli forces had killed seven of the ten terrorists, captured the remaining three, destroyed any possible Ugandan opposition, rescued more than 100 hostages, and took off safely for home. Sadly, not all the hostages made it out alive. Crossfire between the IDF and the terrorists killed three hostages, including young Maimoni. Later, the Ugandans - who had been working in partnership with the terrorists - murdered Dora Bloch, who was being treated at the hospital at the time of the raid.

The Terrible Cost of Freedom

The IDF suffered losses as well. Two soldiers were fatally wounded, including Yoni Netanyahu. In his honor, Defense Minister Peres renamed Operation Thunderbolt, "Operation Yonatan."

Although the drama of Operation Thunderbolt unfolded 26 years ago, the heroism and courage displayed by the hostages, the Israeli government, and the IDF inspires us today. Major Louis Williams, a press officer in the IDF reserves, reminds us that the unselfish acts of everyone associated with the Entebbe rescue mission sent a message to the world that "free [people] need not submit to terrorist blackmail and extortion, no matter how impossible the alternatives may seem."