UAE launches investigation into flydubai hijacking attempt

The United Arab Emirates’ chief prosecutor’s office announced on Thursday that it has opened an investigation into the alleged hijacking of a flydubai flight bound for Israel. The incident occurred the previous day.

According to the state news agency WAM, the investigation team has already begun its work. The probe aims to determine the extent of any terrorist motive or intent behind the event.

Authorities will also assess whether the incident was premeditated and involved multiple actors or was the act of a lone individual.

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz characterized the emergency over Tel Aviv as a “thwarted jihadist terror attack.”

Passengers reported rushing the cockpit to assist the pilot after he was stabbed by his copilot, who subsequently put the aircraft into a steep dive in an attempt to crash it.

Aside from minor cuts and bruises sustained by those who intervened, the majority of the passengers—Israeli nationals—escaped unharmed.

Why does the UAE have jurisdiction in the case?

Judicial authorities in the UAE have jurisdiction over the incident because the aircraft is registered in the UAE and flies under its flag. UAE law applies to crimes committed on board, even if they occur outside the country’s territory.

The plane was over northern Saudi Arabia for most of the early-morning security incident, with tracking data indicating it briefly crossed into Jordan before turning around to make an emergency landing at Tabuk Airport in Saudi Arabia.

FlyDubai passengers recount terror after hijacking attempt

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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu indicated the likelihood of the UAE leading the investigation during a TV interview with Fox News.

“The attacking pilot is … now being investigated in Saudi Arabia. I think he’ll be taken to the Emirates, where he comes from, or at least where he left, where he flew off from, and we’ll be following and possibly also participating in this investigation,” Netanyahu said.

The Omani copilot’s identity has not been made public, and his motive remains unclear. US President Donald Trump said that based on a discussion with Netanyahu, he understood the suspect was “perhaps a terrorist or perhaps a whack-job.”

Asked about the possibility of Iranian involvement amid the conflict in the Gulf, Netanyahu said “it’s too early to say.”

Israel’s Herzog nominates 4 passengers for presidential medal

Israeli President Isaac Herzog plans to nominate four passengers who helped overpower the attacker for the Presidential Medal for Civil Courage.

Herzog and Netanyahu spoke with the passengers when they arrived at Ben Gurion Airport on a replacement flight late on Wednesday.

Herzog named the passengers as Yaniv Hayoun, Shota Musayev, Zvika Manes, and Asaf Rajuan.

“You put yourselves at risk to save others and prevented a terrible disaster,” Herzog said. “Today, the whole world saw the beautiful and courageous face of Israeli society.”

The medal is Israel’s highest civilian award for heroism. Herzog confers the medal, though nominees are typically formally chosen by a committee.

Musayev, a dentist who administered first aid to the severely wounded Indian pilot, told Herzog that everyone on board had acted courageously.

“We supported one another on the plane and also when we arrived in Saudi Arabia, and we took care of each other as we should,” he said.

The Indian captain, Smit Machchhar, has also received staunch praise from Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu and India’s Narendra Modi. Passengers described how the pilot fought off his attacker despite his wounds and was able to open the cockpit door to let them in to aid him. He was in stable condition in a Saudi hospital, India’s Embassy in Riyadh said on Wednesday.

“In the face of the gravest danger and despite being seriously injured, he showed immense courage and an unwavering resolve to protect the lives of others,” Modi said online. “His valor helped save hundreds of lives and avert a great tragedy.”

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