Three former Israeli hostages have returned to Uganda and visited the old airport terminal at Entebbe International Airport, nearly 50 years after they were held there during the 1976 hijacking that ended in a rescue operation.
They are Benny Davidson, who was 13 at the time; Shay Gross, who was six; and Tzipi Cohen Gonen, who was eight.
The three stood on the same grounds where they were once held with other passengers after an Air France aircraft was hijacked in June 1976.
The Acting Director of Defence Public Information, Col Chris Magezi, received them.
On June 27, 1976, an Air France Airbus A300 flying from Tel Aviv to Paris, with a scheduled stop in Athens, was hijacked by members of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine-External Operations and German militants.
The aircraft was first diverted to Libya and later to Uganda, where it landed at Entebbe International Airport. The hijackers were later joined by other accomplices on the ground.
The group was reportedly supported by the Ugandan leadership under Idi Amin.
Over the following days, non-Israeli passengers were separated and released. The remaining hostages, mostly Israelis and members of the Air France crew, stayed at the old terminal building.
At the height of the crisis, Israel launched a military rescue mission known as Operation Entebbe, also called Operation Thunderbolt.
The operation took place in the early hours of July 4, 1976, and ended the hostage crisis.
Speaking during the visit, Tzipi Cohen Gonen recounted the trauma of the events, including the loss of her father during the crisis.
“My father was shot dead. My brother was missing at the time. In the confusion of the exchange of fire, I never knew whether he was killed by Ugandan soldiers or during the rescue operation,” she said.
She said returning to Uganda was deeply personal because it allowed her to close a painful chapter and honour her father’s memory.
She added that she had lived with the experience since childhood and had only recently found the strength to speak about it publicly.
Davidson also reflected on the memories of that night and the emotional weight of returning to the same location.
“The moment I walked in, the memories came back as if it was yesterday. I could still picture everything clearly,” he said.
He said Uganda now presents a different image from the country he remembers from 1976, citing the warm reception and the changed nature of the armed forces.
Col Magezi said Uganda remains open to visitors interested in the historical importance of the site.
“Uganda is open, welcoming, and ready to receive anyone who wishes to visit the old terminal, where these events once took place,” he said.
He described the 1976 hostage crisis as a painful chapter in Uganda’s history and a defining moment in global counterterrorism operations.
He said the rescue showed that acts of terror do not prevail over determined international cooperation.
Col Magezi also said Israel’s resilience had enabled it to overcome repeated security challenges over time.
He added that while the incident remains a difficult part of Uganda’s past, it also reminds countries of the value of peace, stability and international cooperation.
Today, the old terminal at Entebbe stands as a historical site marked by memories of fear, loss and a rescue that became one of the most studied counterterrorism operations in modern history.
