Netanyahu: Dubai-Tel Aviv Flight Attacker Was "Radically Indoctrinated," UAE Opens Terror Probe

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has stated that preliminary investigations indicate the man who attacked the cockpit of a Flydubai passenger jet and attempted to seize control of the aircraft had been exposed to "Islamist radical indoctrination." In an interview with Fox News, Netanyahu said the evidence gathered so far pointed toward a religious extremist motive behind Wednesday's mid-air assault, which forced the plane into a dramatic plunge of more than 17,000 feet before it landed safely in Saudi Arabia.

According to Netanyahu, the suspect is an Omani national. The Israeli leader told Fox News it appeared "very likely" the attacker intended to bring the aircraft down entirely, rather than simply divert it. "It's looking very likely that he was going to down the plane," Netanyahu said, adding that the assailant's behavior after being subdued offered further clues about his state of mind. Once passengers and crew had overpowered and bound him, Netanyahu said, the man called out to the aircrew, "kill me, kill me" — language the prime minister described as clear evidence of suicidal intent. "That's not a question," he said.

Netanyahu also referenced what he characterized as radical Islamist tendencies discovered in the attacker's background, saying these indicators, taken together with the suspect's suicidal declarations, provide a strong indication of motive. He was careful, however, to avoid declaring a final verdict. "I don't make final conclusions yet, but that's the indications we have now," he told the US broadcaster. When asked earlier in the same interview whether Iran might have played a role in the incident, Netanyahu replied that it was "too early to say," leaving open the possibility of a broader geopolitical dimension to the attack.

The incident has triggered investigations across multiple jurisdictions, complicating the question of who will ultimately lead the case. The United Arab Emirates' state news agency reported that Emirati authorities have launched their own inquiry to determine "whether the incident was linked to any terrorist activity or purpose." UAE officials have asserted jurisdiction over the matter, noting that the aircraft involved is registered in the Emirates and operates under its flag. Meanwhile, the co-pilot of the flight is currently being questioned in Saudi Arabia, where the plane made its emergency landing. The attacker himself was arrested in Saudi Arabia and, according to Netanyahu, is expected to be handed over to the UAE.

The sequence of events began on Wednesday when Flydubai flight FZ1073, carrying more than 170 people, departed Dubai International Airport at 03:05 GMT — 07:05 local time — bound for Ben Gurion Airport near Tel Aviv. Roughly two hours into the journey, flight tracking website Flightradar24 recorded the aircraft plunging more than 17,000 feet in less than two minutes. Passenger Almog Itali later described the terrifying descent as feeling like a "rollercoaster." Minutes after the plunge, the plane transmitted an emergency code, and at approximately 05:40, the aircraft — which had briefly entered Jordanian airspace — turned back into Saudi Arabia.

The pilot, Indian national Captain Smit Machchhar, was stabbed during the attack but survived thanks to the swift intervention of passengers and crew, who overpowered the assailant and regained control of the aircraft. The plane subsequently performed a manual descent and landed safely at Tabuk Airport in north-west Saudi Arabia at 06:58. Both Netanyahu and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi have publicly praised Captain Machchhar as a "hero," with the Indian government commending his "immense courage." India's ambassador to the UAE, Deepak Mittal, visited the wounded pilot in hospital on Thursday, and the Indian Mission confirmed on social media that he was "in good health and recovering well."

A separate Israeli investigation, led by the intelligence agency Mossad, has been piecing together what happened on board. An Israeli security source told BBC Arabic that preliminary findings suggest the alleged attacker intended to crash the aircraft. Investigators interviewed passengers after they arrived in Tel Aviv in order to reconstruct the events of the flight. This parallel inquiry adds another layer to an already complex multinational investigation spanning Israel, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Oman.

In the aftermath of the attack, Flydubai suspended flights between Dubai and Tel Aviv while it conducted its own internal investigation. Israel's Transportation Ministry said the suspension aligned with a directive from Netanyahu. To accommodate travellers stranded by the route's closure, Israeli carriers including El Al, Israir, and Arkia announced plans to operate rescue flights from Dubai beginning on Friday. The Transportation Ministry also said it had sent an urgent request to Etihad Airlines to increase the frequency of flights between Abu Dhabi and Tel Aviv.

The incident raises significant questions about aviation security in the region and the screening of passengers on Middle Eastern routes. It also underscores the volatile security environment surrounding Israel's aviation links with Gulf states, which have expanded in recent years under normalization agreements. The multiplicity of investigating authorities — Emirati, Israeli, and Saudi — reflects the sensitive nature of an attack that unfolded across several countries' airspace and touched citizens of numerous nations.

While Netanyahu's comments have focused attention on the radicalization of the attacker, Emirati officials have emphasized the need for a thorough and methodical inquiry before conclusions are drawn. The outcome of the UAE's investigation, along with the transfer of the suspect into Emirati custody, is likely to shape the legal and diplomatic response to an attack that could have ended in catastrophe had the flight crew and passengers not acted decisively at 17,000 feet.