Netanyahu: Pilot in flydubai hijacking attempt underwent 'Islamist radical indoctrination'
The prime minister told Fox News that it would become clear in the coming days if Iran was connected to the incident, and clarified that he received no prior warnings
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated in an interview that the co-pilot involved in the attempted hijacking of a flydubai flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv was radicalized by Islamist ideals. The identity of the perpetrator is currently under investigation in Saudi Arabia. Meanwhile, the Indian Express reported that Indian Captain Smit Machchhar was taken to Dubai for medical care following the attack.
Netanyahu, speaking on Fox News, mentioned that Israel possesses substantial intelligence regarding Iran and its proxies, such as Hamas and Hezbollah, planning to launch assaults on Israelis overseas prior to the elections. However, he affirmed that there was no explicit warning about the flydubai incident. Netanyahu also mentioned that the co-pilot was interrogated in Saudi Arabia and anticipates being transferred to the United Arab Emirates for further examination.
According to the UAE president, Mohammed bin Zayed, Israel will take part in the investigation. U.S. President Donald Trump also commented on the incident. Sources close to the investigation, a U.S. official and a Saudi source, disclosed that the preliminary findings suggest a terrorist assault. The United Arab Emirates' state news agency announced that the country's attorney general has initiated an inquiry into the incident, including the potential connection to terrorist activity.
Israel's Mossad and Shin Bet intelligence agencies are set to receive updates on the investigations and may request investigators to concentrate on specific areas. However, Israel is not anticipated to take an active role in the investigations. The incident unfolded while the aircraft was in Saudi airspace, approximately an hour before its anticipated landing in Israel.
Flight data gathered by various tracking platforms indicated that the plane plummeted from a height of 34,000 feet to 16,000 feet within two minutes, at a rate of roughly five kilometers per minute. Subsequently, a general distress signal was transmitted from the aircraft, and several minutes later, a hijacking alert was also broadcast.
The plane veered towards Jordan, entered its territory, and then modified its course back to Saudi Arabia. Around 50 minutes later, it was observed at a low altitude near Tabuk Airport in northwestern Saudi Arabia, where it safely landed.
Written by urgent.news from Haaretz's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
