Declassified documents from Israel’s State Archives reveal the behind-the-scenes decisions, diplomatic standoffs, and military planning that made Operation Entebbe one of history’s most daring hostage rescues.
The "Two-Pronged" Deception Strategy
The documents show that Israel did not just blindly choose a military route; they actively planned to surrender to the terrorists' demands if the military option didn't look viable.
As the hijackers' initial deadline neared, Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin’s crisis team realized the IDF simply didn't have an actionable plan ready. To buy precious time, the Cabinet made a historic, agonizing vote to break Israel's core doctrine: they publicly announced they were willing to negotiate and trade prisoners.
Defense Minister Shimon Peres explicitly recommended weaponizing this willingness. He urged the Cabinet to hold highly publicized press conferences focused on negotiations with France, using it as a smoke-screen to mask the fact that C-130 transport planes were simultaneously being prepped to fly thousands of miles into Africa under the cover of night.