The Ugandan government has unveiled a statue dedicated to Yonatan Netanyahu, the brother of current Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Yonatan Netanyahu was the commander of the Sayeret Matkal unit and the only Israeli soldier killed during Operation Entebbe in 1976. The mission was launched to rescue more than 100 passengers and crew members who were held hostage at the Entebbe airport after their Air France flight was hijacked by members of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine and the German Revolutionary Cells.

The statue serves as a permanent memorial at the site of the rescue operation. While the event is viewed in Israel as a landmark moment in counter-terrorism history, the legacy of the raid remains complex in the broader regional context. The unveiling highlights the ongoing diplomatic and historical ties between Uganda and Israel. The BBC reports that the memorial specifically honors the sacrifice made by the commander during the high-stakes operation, which resulted in the successful release of the vast majority of the hostages held at the terminal.