United grounds pilot who praised October 7 massacre after reports of reinstatement - report
United Airlines confirmed it grounded a pilot who praised Hamas's October 7 massacre after reports revealed he had quietly returned to flying six months after his November 2023 suspension.
United Airlines has suspended Capt. Ibrahim R. Mossallam from service once again, pending an ongoing review, after he expressed support for Hamas' October 7 massacre on social media, The Daily Wire reported. Mossallam was initially suspended with pay in November 2023, but Israeli media reported that United Airlines quietly reinstated him six months later without acknowledging the move.
According to the airline, Mossallam has been withheld from service since late 2023, though The Daily Wire stated that United has not confirmed whether he has resumed flying. Senior United executives reportedly wanted to fire Mossallam, but the pilots union intervened, preventing his dismissal. In 2023, Mossallam praised Hamas' actions, calling them brave and unprovoked, and criticized the media for a biased portrayal of Palestine.
This has led to some of his fellow pilots losing trust in him, with two deadheading passengers on a United flight reportedly switching to cockpit jump seats for safety. Other United employees have called for his dismissal following the recent flydubai hijacking.
Written by urgent.news from Jerusalem Post's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
