Netanyahu hails Uganda for honouring brother Yoni with Entebbe memorial

• Netanyahu thanked Uganda for honouring his late brother at Entebbe Airport.

• The memorial was unveiled by CDF Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba on August 1, 2026.

• Uganda said the monument reflects renewed ties with Israel and shared values.

• Yoni Netanyahu was killed while leading the 1976 Entebbe hostage rescue mission.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has thanked Uganda after the country unveiled a memorial in honour of his late brother, Lieutenant Colonel Yonatan "Yoni" Netanyahu, at the Old Entebbe Airport terminal where he was killed during the 1976 hostage rescue mission.

In a statement released after the ceremony, Netanyahu said he received the news "with a heavy heart", describing the memorial as a tribute at the very place where his brother led the rescue force, freed the hostages and lost his life.

"Yoni was and remains a symbol of courage, devotion and love for the homeland," Netanyahu said.

He added that his brother's legacy lives on through Israeli Defence Forces personnel and security agencies who continue to protect the country and work to secure the release of hostages.

"Fifty years have passed, but his spirit continues to inspire in Israel and around the world. Thank you to our friends in Uganda for the honour and the memory," he said.

The memorial was unveiled on August 1, 2026, during a ceremony led by Chief of Defence Forces Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba at the historic Old Entebbe terminal.

Kainerugaba described the monument as a symbol of the renewed friendship between Uganda and Israel and said it honoured courage, duty and the protection of innocent lives.

He also paid tribute to civilians killed during the hostage crisis and acknowledged Ugandan soldiers who died in the battle, noting that they fought under Idi Amin's regime, which he said did not represent the Ugandan people.

The CDF said Uganda has since become a constitutional democracy committed to peaceful cooperation with the international community. He reaffirmed Uganda's commitment to strengthening ties with Israel in security, innovation and development.

Speaking on behalf of the Israeli delegation, Barack Orland thanked Kainerugaba for supporting the project and said the monument symbolises the enduring relationship between the two countries.

Uganda Civil Aviation Authority deputy director general Olive Birungi Lumonya praised the initiative, describing the memorial as a lasting tribute to courage, sacrifice and international friendship.

Yoni Netanyahu was the only Israeli soldier killed during the July 4, 1976 operation, in which Israeli commandos rescued more than 100 hostages held at Entebbe Airport after an Air France plane was hijacked.