Sayeret Matkal

Sayeret Matkal was founded in 1957 as the elite Special Forces unit of the Israel Defense Forces. It is also known as General Staff Reconnaissance Unit 269. Its main roles are counter-terror operations, reconnaissance and intelligence gathering.

Sayeret Matkal served as the spearhead of Operation Jonathan, in which Israeli forces rescued more than 100 Air France airline passengers hijacked to Entebbe, Uganda, by Palestine Liberation Organization terrorists in 1976.

In 1972, Sayeret commandos disguised as maintenance workers at Ben-Gurion Airport stormed a Sabena Belgian Airlines jet that had been hijacked by Palestinian terrorists (Former prime minister Ehud Barak was commander of the operation and Benjamin Netanyahu was wounded during its course).

In 1973, Sayeret commandos in West Beirut assassinated several leaders of the Black September terror group, which was behind the 1972 massacre of 11 members of the Israeli Olympic delegation to Munich.

Today, Sayeret Matkal forces continue to play a part in the fight against Palestinian terrorists.