An international flight hijacked by armed terrorists is flown to hostile territory. Every few hours they say that they are going to execute us. >> Demands are made. Deadlines are set. An elite special forces team known as the unit moves into action. >> To kill someone is relatively simple. to rescue someone is much more complicated. >> As time is running out, a daring plan is launched from thousands of miles away. It'll stand as one of the most bold special force operations uh in modern history. >> Now on Black Ops, behind the scenes of one of the most daring rescue missions ever made, Operation Thunderbolt. Heat. Heat. [Music] [Music] Air France Flight 139 from Tel Aviv to Paris makes a stopover in Athens. On board the airplane are 248 passengers and crew members. I was putting nail polish on my nails and uh we were talking to the girl sitting in front of us. I didn't suspect anything. >> Shortly after takeoff, terrorists storm the cockpit. One of them takes over the radio and announces the flight is hijacked. No one knows where it's headed. [Music] In Jerusalem, a routine cabinet meeting is interrupted and the message is delivered to Prime Minister Yitsak Rabin. Defense Minister Shimon Perez is also getting the news. M came in and they handed me a very small piece of information that said that an Air France plane was hijacked. >> Good evening. An Air France jet was hijacked by Palestinian guerrillas today. The hijacking of Flight 139 is just the latest in a string of terrorist attacks targeting Israeli citizens. Four years earlier in 1972, 11 Israeli athletes were killed in an attack on their compound at the Munich Olympics. waiting for their luggage in Tel Aviv airport. And in 1974, terrorists sieged a high school in northern Israel, killing 22, most of them young students. Immediately after the hijacking, Israeli special forces are put on high alert. The authorities are expecting the plane to arrive in Tel Aviv. But the hijackers have a different plan. One of them is a trained pilot. He instructs the captain to divert the flight to Libya. >> He knew exactly how to fly an airplane and he had the the maps that he needed and he followed the our pilot to see that he's taking him wherever he wants to go. On the ground in Libya, one desperate passenger pretends to be having a miscarriage in an attempt to escape. She's released and immediately met by Israeli intelligence officers. They learn from her that there are four terrorists, two German and two Palestinian. They are armed with guns and grenades. The plane continued to fly and we didn't know to which destination. >> It is headed to Africa. In the early hours of June 28th, Air France Flight 139 lands in Antebi airport in Uganda, more than 2,000 m from Tel Aviv. At first, the passengers think the crisis is coming to an end. They told us we are going to be released in Uganda. >> But as soon as they get off the plane, their hopes are dashed. >> There were two rows of Uangian soldiers standing with guns and we were in the middle and they led us into the terminal of Enbe. That was the second big very big shock. We were sure that we are free, free to go. And then we saw that lots of Ugandan soldiers are waiting for us there. And six more terrorists were waiting for us there. >> Instead of being released, they are led to an unused terminal in Antebby airport. They told us that we are going to stay there and um later they brought us mattresses and uh blankets. [Music] Soon they receive a visit from Uganda's unpredictable and ruthless ruler Idi. He offers his services as a mediator in the crisis. Negotiations between the hijackers and Ugandan officials led by President Edi Amin were at a stalemate, but the hijackers did allow the planes 256 passengers to wait in the airport lounge. >> In Jerusalem, the cabinet ministers are wondering if Armen can be trusted. >> We didn't know yet. Is it in coordination with Uganda people? Was it pre-arranged? We didn't have the slightest idea. >> The hijackers still haven't issued any demands. The passengers, unsure of their fate, spend a nervous night in Entbe airport. In the morning, the terrorists make an announcement. >> They're going to separate part of us to the other room, and it will be more comfort for all of us. It sounds fine. They started to call us by names. After the few the the first few names, we understood that they are calling the Israeli people and the Jewish people. It was a very frightening moment. >> For many passengers, the process of a selection between Jews and non-Jews bears echoes of the Holocaust. >> It's such a despair. It's such a feeling of that's it, the end. because you can't do anything. And we we knew that they are going to release all the others. >> They separated between Jews and non-Jews. The fact that they are Germans and they made a separation really made me outraged. In Jerusalem, the leaders anxiously follow the news reports from Entbe as the terrorists announce their demands. >> Paris, but the hijackers threatened to kill the more than 200 remaining hostages, including seven Americans, unless Israel and four other countries release 53 pro Palestinian prisoners. >> The hijackers set a deadline for their demands. The tourist send us a message that if they are not going to get the answer in the next 12 hours or 10 hours, they'll start to execute passengers one by one on an hourly basis. >> Israel has a long-standing policy not to give in to terrorists demands. Defense Minister Shimon Perez knows he needs to start setting in motion a response. >> If we can find a political way, why not? But parallel, I started to look for a military solution. >> Paris will turn to the Israeli Defense Forces. They have a reputation as one of the best trained armies in the world. Its elite special forces units have carried out many daring operations. >> They had a force uh that was capable. The consequence of them failing uh I think was great. The consequence of the success was even greater. >> But Uganda is 2,000 mi away. Staging a rescue mission so far from home and under such a tight deadline seems impossible. The Israeli leaders are trying to devise a response, but they desperately need more time. >> I thought we have a chance with a little bit of daring or much daring and decisiveness and surprise and ingenuity to do the job. >> Any operation would be extremely risky. >> This was a a push uh for a emerging country. It happened at a period of time where you had an emerging nation whose destiny was uncertain. The intelligence available is minimal. They don't know how many terrorists are involved or if they have the backing of the Ugandan army. They could be facing thousands in hostile and unfamiliar territory. But defense minister Perez is pushing for a plan. The first I called in was the commander of the air force who I like very much. I called in the other young commanders. They says, "Look, we have to look at the map. We have to check where are the radar stations? How can we land?" >> Joshua Shani, one of Israel's top pilots, gets an urgent phone call. It's very unusual to get a direct call from the commander of the air force and what he wanted to know is very basic information about the range about the payload that we can take about the fuel needed about the route that it's possible or not to do. I gave him one by one everything he needed to know and then he said come back to the headquarters we'll start planning. The planners need to know how big a threat the Ugandan army is. They turn to Muki Betser, a commander with Israeli special forces who knows the African forces well. I was sent to train the paratroopers unit for 2 years. They asked me, Muki, what do you know about the Ugandan army? I said, listen, the Ugandan army is not exactly a well-trained army, not like the IDF. In any case, >> the planning group considers several options. One involves dropping boats and a parachute force into Lake Victoria by Enbe. >> We've tested parachuting into Lake Victoria, but we didn't have any experience with such things and Navy Seals tried it and the boats exploded. Technically we we did not do well in the uh exercise that one boat was blown up and it was kind of and the second round was better but say 50% is not good enough for an operation like this. >> The prime minister sends them back to work >> and he did not approve that operation. He thought it will be very risky and it was not a wise plan. and some of the military people were very disappointed that that plan was not approved and he stated, "I want another plan as soon as possible." And he set specific guidelines to the plan. >> The risks of a failed operation start to sink in. >> I thought if it will fail, it will be a boost for terrorists. It will be a shame for Israel. It will make our army look as a second great army. >> Meanwhile, the government is under enormous pressure from the families of the hostages to give in to the terrorists demands. The prime minister saw a representative group and revealed that the government had decided to negotiate with the hijackers to secure the release of all of the hostages and was ready to release some terrorists held in Israeli jails in return. Their [Applause] message was do whatever we can to meet the tourist demand and free our fathers or mothers and relatives. >> Secretly the military planners work according to the new guidelines set by the prime minister. >> One, it should be a complete surprise. B the time that planes will op will land and the military operation will start should be limited to a specific number of minutes. >> But they still don't have a plan of action. It's decided to try to pressure Idiamin to solve the crisis one more time. An old Israeli friend of the Ugandan president calls him. >> So he called him early morning. He said, "Uh, you remember you told me once that your mother told you to help the people of Jerusalem, and that's your chance. Those people that are being kept in your terminal are your guests. But if you will not take good care of them, you might pay a price for it." >> The calls convince Israeli leaders that their only remaining option is a daring military raid. But negotiating may allow them to buy more time to solve their big problem. The planners are hampered by a lack of intelligence. We got super eight films and photographs. They gave us information about the distances. We were watching TV. Amen was coming in every evening to see them. So intelligence was coming in slowly. But this wasn't operational intelligence. >> On Wednesday, less than 24 hours before the deadline they've set for executions expires, the hijackers released the non-Israeli hostages and allow them to fly back to Paris. It's their first mistake. We send the team to Paris to interview them, >> find out as much as we can details of what is taking place at the terminal. >> This is a critical breakthrough. The released passengers provide them with information about the number of terrorists, Ugandan troops helping them, and the exact location of the hostages. With the new intelligence, the odds that the raid may work improve. We were sure that >> we were sure that coming to Intebi from out of the blue and so far away from >> Invi is so far away from Israel and with our force we can finish it in less than 2 minutes. You know, trying to gain that upper hand and gain attack the enemy on your terms and trying to achieve that element of surprise. That was probably the greatest thing they had going for them. Then another piece of encouraging news arrives. Only hours before the executions are due to begin in Antbee. The hijackers agree to extend the deadline. We need a time to keep quiet and to keep the attention around the negotiations. If the slightest rumor of indication will leak that we have a military intention, we lost it. >> They are still missing a critical piece of intelligence. a detailed image of the terminal. We asked somebody from that was at that time in Kenya, not an Israeli uh to try to fly about the above the airport by a small plane and try to take pictures where exactly the Air France plane is land is parked and as much as information he could get from that and he was able to do that and transfer those photos to So alto together we had a quite a clear idea where the hostages are being kept. What is the logistics of the airport? Where can a plane land land? Where's exactly the the commercial runway of the airport? There was also a military section of the airport. The top secret Israeli counterterrorism team, simply known as the unit, have been put on high alert since the crisis began. It's time to mobilize the troops. It's a very special unit. It's the cream of the crop. It was developed over the years to carry out intelligence and counterterrorism operations. And others we call the long arm of the idea. should uh >> the unit has built its mystique by carrying out the most daring missions, operating behind enemy lines and rescuing hostages. >> This has the significant reputation because they took part in many special operations. >> Like other Black Ops units around the world, the unit's operators have to go through a grueling selection camp to join. The few who pass it are invited to join the team. The first and foremost attribute of feature is determination. The operators need a combination of skills, physical ability, intelligence, good technical skills, and social skills because it's teamwork. [Music] Only a few of the unit's operations have ever been made public. among them rescuing hostages from terrorists who hijacked a Sabina airline flight in 1972. When the plane arrived in Tel Aviv, the troops pretended to be technicians coming to fix the plane. They then stormed it and rescued all the passengers. In Operation Spring of Youth in Lebanon in 1973, the unit's troops avenged the killing of Israeli athletes during the Munich Olympics. We came from the sea, came in with the Navy Seals. We were dressed as tourists. Barak was my partner. He was dressed as a woman. We got to the heart of Beirut and took out three terrorist leaders in retaliation. I thought those boys if there is somebody in the world that can do it they will do it and they are ready to pay with their life with with the slightest hesitation. The unit is the best chance Israel has. But they only have hours to come up with a plan. If they fail, the terrorists will deliver on their threat and start executing passengers. In the army's headquarters in Tel Aviv, one plan that initially seemed like an outlandish idea is starting to take shape. Sending a strike force 2,000 m away and storming the terminal under the cover of darkness. [Music] >> The plan was to send four planes. The first land 7 minutes ahead of the others. >> Joshua Shai will be the lead pilot. He will fly the assault team. 29 Matcal soldiers led by Yonyi Netanyahu. With him is Muki Betser who was part of the group that planned the operation. To add to the element of surprise, the special forces team assembles a convoy of official looking vehicles. CBS showed a couple of times Idiamin coming with a Mercedes with two Land Rover jeeps to visit the terminal to visit the auto. So say why why wouldn't we do the same >> one Mercedes and two Land Rovers we will all be dressed up as Ugandans basically staging the arrival of either Amin or another dignitary as they did every night. The plan is to get there and completely surprise them. Storm the terminal, take out the terrorists and release the hostages. The rest of the force, another 200 top infantrymen and paratroopers handpicked for the mission will arrive in the other three Hercules planes. >> The other three will wait 7 minutes in a holding pattern just south of him around the border of Kenya and Uganda just to make sure that we will keep the maximum surprise minimum noise. They will land in 7-minute intervals. Their job to secure the airport, fight back any retaliation, and provide backup for the rescue team. The unit's senior operators are assembled. Amir offer is at home just days before finishing his mandatory service with the unit. It >> was a very frightening phone call. I must admit, I was told, "Come immediately to the to your base." All of us were very worried. It was a very dangerous operation. >> Practice begins. They need to be ready for every potential scenario. >> Our planning seemed perfect with a high probability that throughout the journey, the landing, and the raid on the terminal, we will be able to maintain the surprise element. Israel's leaders and top military commanders are invited to observe a dress rehearsal on an improvised model of the terminal. >> When you decide an operation, you have to take a risk. The question is, is it a reasonable risk? I wouldn't do it to commit suicide. And when I saw the boys, I saw the preparation. My self asssurance grew up. At the end of the rehearsal, the chief of staff wants to know what are their chances of succeeding. >> He collected all the commanders together. After the rehearsal, he asked each of us to say if we believe in the plan or not, all of us said that 70 to 80% it would fail. But we decided to go. when you have the uh the type of well-trained uh personnel and some of their ground forces are exceptionally well trained um you know you do what you have to do in order to uh you know to accomplish the mission. >> The hijacker's new deadline is approaching fast. Perez the minister of defense needs to convince Prime Minister Yitsak Rabin to greenlight the risky operation. [Music] He struggled with that decision for a day and a night. He told me that he hardly slept. >> I wanted to carry out the mission. I wanted to do it. I saw that is possible. I wanted to be a part of it and uh I was very anxious to get airborne and get out and do it. And we were sitting there waiting for an approval. 5 days into the crisis on Friday, encouraged by the latest developments, Rabbine, who was a former general, is persuaded. >> He accompanied me to the elevators and said to me, "Amos, if the military operation will fail, and the chances are 50/50, I will resign the following day." Prime Minister Ravine wants the entire government to sign off on what has been until now a secret plan. As time is running out, 200 of Israel's top fighters are taking off to Africa, ready to carry out the daring rescue raid, now cenamed Operation Thunderbolt. The final go or no go will be given while they're in the air. We took off to the mission without the final approval of the government. The assault teams had less than 24 hours to prepare before changing to Ugandan uniforms, their operational disguise as they attempt to pass themselves off as an official escort to Idi Armen's motorcade. [Music] I was totally sure that no one will approve the operation will be canceled within few hours. It was too risky, too far. It was a crazy operation. The troops are getting a quick lastm minute briefing. >> Netanyahu, which is our was our commander, explained that we have a very short time to prepare the operation. Therefore, we will not uh discuss any activities of other forces. He just told each one of us what's a specific role of each squad. >> Meanwhile, in Jerusalem, an emergency cabinet meeting is called. Unless all ministers approve the plan, the troops will be called back. The Hercules planes have been in the air for nearly two hours. When a message arrives, Operation Thunderbolt is a go. Given that the consequence of both failure and success for the state of Israel, I think it was a very very tough call. Uh but it was one they had to make. In Antbe for the hostages, the situation seems hopeless. >> We couldn't even for 1% think that Israeli are coming to save us there. No way. We didn't know what's going on in Israel. Nobody was talking to us. >> The deadline for executions to begin approaches. Every few hours they said that they are going to execute us each and every one of us. I I remember that my thought was I would like to be one of the first because I I couldn't think of seeing the others being killed. >> It was despairing not giving any hope. The four Hercules planes head north, then turn south, flying over the Red Sea and over to Africa. In the cockpit, lead pilot Joshua Shani feels the burden of responsibility. >> The fear was from failure. Real fear, big fear. 29 years old, it's all on my shoulder and if I screw it up, this is a national disaster. [Music] The journey is some 2,200 m long and it involves crossing hostile airspace. If detected, they could be shot down. We kept radio silence because we didn't want anybody from the enemy countries next to us to listen. >> To avoid getting detected, they fly as low as only 100 ft above the sea, making the journey a rough one. Even so, some of the troops used the time to prepare. >> I loaded my AK-47 and I opened the safety pin and my friend who was sitting beside me shouted on me, "You are not supposed to open your safety pin to load the weapon within a plane." I told him, "Shut up. This is the real war." Others like Martan Villani, the operation's deputy commander, and Yoni Netanyahu, the unit's commander, managed to catch a few minutes of sleep. >> Both of us occupied this bed with full gear and weapons. We tried to sleep. It's a long flight. I found very difficult to understand how a guy that's going to storm and his chances to get killed of 50% can sleep like a baby. And he did sleep like a baby. >> Just as they get to the border of Kenya and Uganda, the pilots break formation and separate. Shaunie carrying the attack force continues directly towards Antbe while the others reach the airport from another direction. The aim is to time their arrival to maximize the potential surprise. >> Very dangerous. You know, flying into an airfield that enemy forces are are controlling with aircraft that are uh essentially unarmed. Um you know, they didn't have cover, didn't have gunships uh covering them to be able to come in, land. >> When we had to pick up the time of landing, we knew it should be the middle of the night sometime. As the plane approaches airport, the control tower, anticipating another arriving flight, asks the plane to identify itself. Shaunie's answer could seal the fate of the mission. >> In broken English, >> in broken English, they start asking questions and our captain. >> He gave the right answer. Shnie manages to pass as another incoming flight without raising suspicion and his plane lands at 11:01 p.m. Uganda time right on schedule. The rest of the force 200 troops should arrive within the next 15 minutes. When I was at approximately 1500 1,000 ft over the lake, I I saw the lights of the runway very clear. Uh and all of the sudden uh I was relieved. The flight was behind me. I was in the formation. I was exactly on time. The runway is in front of me. Piece of cake. And then uh when I was at 300 ft, approximately 300 ft, all of the sudden the lights went off. Complete darkness. My first officer unbuckled his harness, stood up, um, peered through the windows looking for any clue where is the runway. >> But until then, the Madcow operators are on their own. >> All the intelligence that we got was that there are between 200 and 1,000 soldiers in this specific air base. and and we were supposed to be alone for about 7 to 10 minutes. When you think that you are 29 against let's say 1,000 and about 8 to 15 terrorists, it's a crazy operation. >> Everything goes according to the plan. >> I taxi all the way almost to the old terminal where the ter where the hostages were held. While the plane is still taxiing, the assault force gets into the official looking vehicles to pose as Armen's motorcade. The next moments are critical. They have to get right up to the terminal without being detected. >> We jumped out with the Mercedes. The air was fresh right after the rain. We driving slowly, adjusting our speed to our surroundings. In the Mercedes are Betser and Netanyahu, the commanders of the assault. Behind the rest of the force in Land Rovers, pretending to be an official escort. I remember these two feelings. One is a feeling of terrible loneliness. And the second is that I I saw 29 shadows shadows of people or soldiers holding their weapons in the darkness. And I said to myself, how many of these will stay alive in 5 minutes? The success of the entire operation depends on maintaining the surprise and on no one daring to stop the president's convoy. We look straight ahead and we see two Ugandan soldiers standing there. Our little board. >> The troops have only seconds to react. >> The guy yells, "Advance." I tell y, "Forget it. It's routine." But he hesitates for a second and then says, "Take them out. There was a burst of non-silence fire. And at this moment, it was obvious that the element of surprise gone." I thought this is when the slaughter begins. Their cover is blown. They're exposed and outnumbered and still more than 200 m away from their target. The hijackers could start executing hostages immediately. Hundreds of lives are on the line. >> We jumped off and started running. And as we are running, a Ugandan soldier opens fire right above us. And I shoot around him, hitting him in the chest and drops. >> Any Ugandan soldier we see is shot. There was massive shooting. >> The Ugandan soldiers are confused. >> Ugandanis in general always view Israel and Israelis as special people on earth. And any confrontation with them is as if you are confronting children, special children of God. So in that view, our soldiers were saying the children of God has come. So anything to do with God to Ugandans that was beyond human control. >> Inside the terminal, the hostages are terrified. They don't know who he's shooting or why. I thought the terrorists will shoot, the Ugandan soldiers will shoot and we will be dead in a few minutes. There were shooting, terrible shooting all around, noises, shouting, lights, everything. We were sure that that's the end. It comes now. Everything now depends on how quickly the assault force can get to the hostages. >> It was critical to enter as fast as possible. >> Amir offer is the first inside the terminal. >> I couldn't see my commander and I was sure that he already ran and he disappeared in the darkness and I must run as fast as I can in order to catch up with him and to cover his back. He is on his own with no cover. [Music] >> Someone was shooting in the terminal about 5 m inside it and he was holding an AK-47 and he was shooting at me directly. You know, I could see his hands like this because he was shooting a huge burst of fire. >> His special forces training kicks into action. The bullets were one here and one there and I I simply didn't care. I just shot him accurately three or four bullets and you know tuck tuck and uh that's it. The rest of the team catch up. As they move through the terminal, they see two men dressed as civilians. They don't realize they are terrorists until one soldier notices a spark. They shouted they have a grenade and they shoot them in. >> The assault team is now together. They continue to sweep the terminal. >> There were two other terrorists. They turned their rifle to shoot me in the back. [Music] >> Within 5 seconds, I was supposed to die twice. >> Next, the troops advance into the passenger hall. We were scanning the whole room with our eyes looking for more terrorists. >> The hostages have no idea who these soldiers are. >> It was very frightening moments. It looks like ours and we we didn't understand what is going on. >> In my left hand, I put the loudspeaker. My right hand was still on the trigger and I said, "Everybody lie down." They were totally sure that they are now going to be executed. >> In the confusion, one hostage, Jeanjacone, excited to be rescued, leaps to his feet. >> He jumped against my explicit instruction to lie down and he was mistaken mistakenly considered to be a terrorist who is jumping in order to run and activate a bomb or whatever. and he was shot. >> I shouted to him not to move, but he didn't hear me. There was already too much noise from the shooting. Then I wanted to pull him with his foot. But uh there was too many bullets around. He jumped to say wonderful for saving me. Myimmon is one of the three hostages killed in the crossfire. The hostages start to realize what is happening. They started to raise a little bit their heads and just you know to look from the bottom from the floor to look up and suddenly they identified or they understood that they're not going to be killed that someone came to rescue them and uh it's an amazing moment. It's like if there was an angel coming out of the sky. It was such a surprise. By now, the rest of the Israeli force has landed and is battling the Ugandan army outside. The Hercules pilots are waiting in the dark. >> They were shooting all over the place, tracers, and I couldn't tell if they are aiming to us or not. One bullet in the right place. The airplane is grounded. You cannot take off. >> Inside the terminal, the assault force needs to report to the unit's commander that the team has eliminated the hijacker's threat. >> I call Yi on the radio and I say, "Mission completed." Yi, I say, "Completed." Just like in the rehearsal. Nothing. The unit's communications officer picks up. He's yelling. Yi is heard. Yi is heard. Yani Netanyahu, Madcal's commander, has been critically injured. There's no time to digest the news. They're still not out of danger. >> The soldiers told us to go out to to uh follow the lights outside to the Hercules and we started to run. >> They only have minutes before the Ugandan army regroups. >> Ham's reaction was furious. He regretted that he had been duped by Kanu Balev that they were negotiating with view to peaceful exchanges. Yet the Israelis had been having double planning. That kind of thing to my view annoyed him more. The hostages and the troops are still at least 8 hours away from home in a hostile country. My issue was at that time to make sure that we can get the hell out of there. >> The evacuation must begin. >> We had to count the soldiers a million times just to make sure we are not leaving anyone behind. It was so critical. And when we felt, everybody that was ready took off. >> But not everyone is on the plane. Elan Hart's elderly mother was taken to a Ugandan hospital the night before. I said I had a mother who was in hospital 30 miles away, of course, 30 kilometers away. Of course, I knew they couldn't get there. There was no time for them to go and save her, but I told them to try to to speak with whoever uh they can. And uh the people in the plane told me that uh Africans usually are very respectful to old women. The Israeli force needs to make sure they can't be pursued by the Ugandan army. A demolition team moves in to destroy the entire fleet of MiG fighter planes. On the way home, the troops learn that the unit's commander, Yonyi Netanyahu, has died. >> I went out to the back of one of the aircraft. >> And I saw Yonyi lying there. >> It was covered with an aluminum blanket. And I looked at it and I think about Yanni. And in >> in military operations, the price is always human life. >> 2,000 mi away, the government in Jerusalem is waiting for an update. >> I was at my office. It was, I think, 12:00 at night. That was the first time that the silence was broken. And we got a code which says that one of our commanders fall. Somehow my heart told me it's Yonyi whom I loved very much. While the Hercules planes are still in the air, news of the secret has leaked out. We turn on the long range radio and I put it on the loudspeaker so the special forces will hear. It started with a French um television station that said Israeli commando just did this operation. >> After another 7 hours journey and a week after the hijacking, the four planes carrying the troops, the hostages, and the dead are finally back home in Israel. [Music] Everybody, all our friends, all of them were there. >> It was unbelievable. The I thought that the whole country is waiting for us there in in the airport. Lots and lots and lots of people. >> The pilots can finally relax. When you have this kind of responsibility, you function. And is so high, you just function and you don't know how. I totally collapsed when I got home. [Music] But Matka, the secret Black Ops unit, cannot take part in the celebrations for many years to come. Its missions and the operators who carry them out will remain in the shadows. We were isolated and taken aside because it was top secret at the time. I think that there was one moment later on that I understood that we did something I would say extraordinary. >> Armen took his revenge on Dora Block, the elderly hostage who was taken earlier to the hospital. After the operation ended, kind of a retaliation, Idiamin gave an order to the doctor doctors at the hospital to kill her and that what took place. >> We waited three years until we heard that the remains body was there, found there, and she was brought to Israel to be buried in Israel. They know this is a s sacred mission. They felt that only they can do it. Only they have to do it. Only they have to take the risk. [Music] It was not God that worked over time. It was just we did a good job like we was expected to do. The daring raid and the courage of the troops who carried it out would be studied by forces all around the world and serve as a model for what special ops teams could achieve. The Israelis overwhelming retaliation to the hijackers is an early international victory in the war on terrorism. Heat. Heat. [Music] [Music] [Music]