Netanyahu says it is too early to determine motive in cockpit stabbing incident

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu commented on Wednesday that there is still no clear motive for the cockpit stabbing incident on a FlyDubai flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv. Netanyahu stated that he does not believe it was a hijacking and instead thinks the incident appears to be a suicide attempt, based on the account of passenger Yaniv Hayoun who subdued the attacker.

The incident occurred when the co-pilot, an Indian national, stabbed the captain around two hours into the flight. The plane then experienced a turbulent descent before stabilizing. Passengers and crew subdued the co-pilot, and an emergency landing was made in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia. The attacker, whose name has not been released, was born in Oman and holds Omani citizenship.

Netanyahu said the co-pilot is currently being interrogated in Saudi Arabia and will be moved to Dubai, after which Israeli authorities will continue the investigation. Netanyahu noted that it could be a mental health issue, but they cannot rule out terrorism at this stage. Israeli security officials are looking into the possibility of an attempted terror attack, similar to the 9/11 attacks, but they emphasize that the exact motive remains unclear and will be determined through a formal investigation. FlyDubai has stated that they are awaiting all facts and urge people not to speculate prematurely.