2026 'Flydubai Flight FZ1073 incident' - jihadi massacre attempt

The 2026 'Flydubai Flight FZ1073 incident' - jihadi massacre attempt was an in-flight cockpit Islamist assault involving a Flydubai passenger aircraft traveling from Dubai to Tel Aviv on 30 September 2026 carrying 174 Israeli passengers. Hamam al-Hammami, a racist Arab radical-Islamic co-pilot attacked and repeatedly stabbed the Indian captain and attempted to take control of the aircraft. A terrifying plunge followed. It was a “premeditated terrorist plot to seize control of the aircraft and use it to launch a suicide attack targeting the passenger terminal at Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv, with the aim of causing the greatest possible loss of life.”

Per his own admission later on, al-Hammami planned to crash upon the Israeli main international airport. An act that would slaughter scores, all 170 on board and many others on the grounds. Passengers and other crew members intervened, after which the aircraft was diverted to Saudi Arabia and made an emergency landing in Tabuk.

From the get-go Israeli authorities subsequently characterized the incident as an attempted terrorist attack. Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz described it as a "jihadist terrorist attack attempt" and said it had been thwarted by passengers who overpowered the assailant.

Flydubai incident - world newspapers frontpages 9-30-26-10-01-26

Overview:

• The Cockpit Attack: Approximately two and a half hours after departing Dubai International Airport, the flight's co-pilot—al-Hamami—stabbed the commanding pilot, Indian national Captain Smit Machchhar, in the cockpit.

• The Plunge: Following the stabbing, the co-pilot attempted to crash the Boeing 737 MAX 8, causing the aircraft to lurch violently and plummet between 14,000 and 17,000 feet in under two minutes.

• The Intervention: A female passenger leaving the lavatory noticed the open cockpit door and witnessed the stabbing, alerting the cabin. Despite his wounds, Captain Machchhar managed to open the cockpit door, allowing passengers and crew members to rush forward, enter the cockpit, and overpower the attacker.

• Emergency Landing: A second pair of Flydubai pilots traveling aboard the aircraft as relief crew took control of the flight deck. The aircraft broadcasted emergency codes for hijacking and made an emergency landing at Tabuk Airport in northwestern Saudi Arabia.

Incident

The flight was traveling from Dubai to Tel Aviv when an altercation occurred in the cockpit. Al-Hammami the co-pilot attacked the captain with a used the plane's emergency crash axe to attack his captain.

The Indian Captain Makhija explained to Netanyahu: "the co-pilot asked to pray, and out of respect I looked forward and not back. Suddenly I took a hard blow to the back of my head. I tried to stop him, but because of his initial blows, my vision almost disappeared. I heard people's screams. And.. I had one last fight left in me. I knew that if I didn't do it — I would die. So I used all the strength I had, walked to the door and opened it. Fortunately, people were waiting there to respond immediately and took control of the situation."

Explaining: "My first thought was that there was catastrophic damage to the aircraft, but then, after that, the blows kept coming, one after the other, and that's when I realized that it's not the aircraft; it's the other guy who was in the cockpit with me."

Despite captain Machchhar's attempts to stop the jihadist al-Hammami, he said the aircraft pitched sharply downward as his vision rapidly faded. He added that he managed to open the cockpit door several times, even as his co-pilot repeatedly closed it.

Saying: "My colleagues from outside were trying to pitch in the code (to open the door), but the guy was not allowing them to open the code," the captain explained. "Once I had my hand on the knob, I guess I twisted it, and I opened it."

"I remember I was lying down on the cockpit floor, and I felt the aircraft and the whooshing sound and people screaming," he recalled. "Thankfully, people were waiting to pounce back, took over the controls, and the rest is what you know, sir." , causing serious injuries. The captain reportedly fought back and alerted passengers and crew before collapsing. The aircraft subsequently lost altitude rapidly and began banking, prompting passengers and crew to intervene. They ‘tried to do 9/11’ - it has been said.

Passengers described the aircraft as plunging rapidly, with Assaf Rajuan saying that it went down at approximately a 90-degree angle and that passengers understood there was no control over the aircraft.

Tali Manes, who was traveling with her husband and 6-year-old daughter, accompanied her daughter to the restroom near the front of the aircraft. While there, she heard bloodcurdling screams and a violent struggle coming from the cockpit. Manes says she saw blood and a violent struggle and realized the pilot was being stabbed. She screamed for help, prompting others to react. She credits the crew and passengers’ response with stopping the attack and saving the lives of all 180 people aboard. She described the experience as terrifying and called the successful intervention “a great miracle.” Her alertness kicked off a chain of heroic actions that saved the plane.

Terror, massacre plan

As early as Oct 2, UAE official calls flydubai attack 'dangerous act of terrorism'.

The attacker, Hamam al-Hammami, (29 at the time), has told investigators he intended to crash the jet in Israel.

After striking the Indian captain and realizing his plan to crash the Flydubai flight in Israel had failed, the Omani co-pilot decided to crash the plane in the Saudi desert. An investigation by the Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera reveals that the perpetrator disengaged the autopilot, pushed the controls forward with full force, and caused the aircraft to lose 16,000 feet of altitude in less than a minute.

Another detail emerging from the investigation is the possibility that the perpetrator cut off the fuel supply and shut down the aircraft's engines. Two captains who analyzed passenger videos for the newspaper pointed out that the cabin emergency lights suddenly illuminated. According to them, on Boeing 737 aircraft, these lights activate when the plane loses its primary power source and switches to battery power—a situation that typically indicates the generators or engines have been shut down. The official investigation will need to determine whether the perpetrator switched the fuel controls to the cutoff position.

The investigation—based on passenger accounts, data from air traffic controllers, and aviation experts—also reveals that one of the additional pilots summoned to the cockpit was the one who transmitted the distress code. Initially, code 7700 (indicating a general emergency) was broadcast, and air traffic control did not grasp the nature of the incident. It was only seven minutes later that the code was changed to 7500, signifying a hijacking. At this stage, the plane approached Jordanian airspace, but air traffic controllers there ordered it to turn back; seven minutes later, the aircraft was diverted for an emergency landing in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia.

Hamam al-Hammami planned to kill the pilot, Capt. Smit Machchhar, without attracting attention, then continue along the aircraft's planned route to Tel Aviv and deliberately crash the aircraft in the city.

Al-Hammami researched airlines operating routes to Tel Aviv before deliberately choosing flydubai.

He planned the operation before being hired by the airline and used his work as a pilot to visit Ben Gurion Airport and gather information about the site.

His 'dream was to crash into Ben-Gurion Airport,' with plans to strike the terminal during landing. One of his final visits to Israel, around July, was allegedly part of preparations for the planned attack.

Analyst Amit Segal responded to dramatic revelations from the interrogation of the Omani co-pilot who planned to crash a passenger jet into the terminal: How many would have died?

Israeli authorities were reportedly working on the assumption that Hammami had acted as a "lone wolf" rather than on behalf of a terrorist organization. The report stated that the alleged plan was intended to be carried out quickly enough to prevent fighter jets from intervening.

Hammami attacked Machchhar with an emergency crash axe, nearly severing his arm, and attempted to crash the aircraft by manipulating the control stick and subsequently cutting both engines. Machchhar and passengers were then able to restrain Hammami and regain control of the aircraft.

By Oct 9 2026, the UAE concluded Flydubai co-pilot Hamam al-Hammami, planned to crash a passenger aircraft into Ben Gurion Airport in a terrorist attack intended to cause mass casualties. UAE state media WAM: “premeditated terrorist plot to seize control of the aircraft and use it to launch a suicide attack targeting the passenger terminal at Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv, with the aim of causing the greatest possible loss of life.” He pursued flight training to carry out the jihadist attack, preparing for it over several years and drawing inspiration from the September 11 attacks in the United States. His radicalization began in Australia in 2017, where he encountered extremist literature and online propaganda promoting terrorist organizations and suicide attacks. He took two flights to Tel Aviv to familiarize himself with the route and airport, undertook physical training, including boxing lessons as part of his preparations, and intensified his exposure to extremist propaganda. He worked for Oman Air, Royal Air Maroc and Flydubai after completing the required professional qualifications and security checks, which did not uncover his extremist beliefs or terrorist intentions. He also received flight training at the UK's L3 Airline Academy. His preparations extended over several years, with flight training dating back to at least 2018. He also told investigators that he acted in "revenge" for Gaza and wanted to die as a "martyr." The stated revenge motive raises the question of whether it was an additional motive for the attack or a justification invoked alongside his longstanding plan.

Al-Hammami's radicalization began while he was living and studying in Melbourne, Australia. He attended a mosque affiliated with the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology and met people associated with MyCentre, an Islamic center led by Samir Mohtadi, known as "Abu Hamza." Mohtadi has promoted inflammatory anti-Zionist rhetoric, calling Zionists "scavengers," "bloodsuckers" and "not human," denying Israel's legitimacy and calling for Palestine to be cleansed of Zionists (i.e. here referred to all Israelis). His rhetoric targets Zionists as a group and, in the context of his rejection of Israel's existence, encompasses Israeli Jews. In sermons, he urged Allah to instill terror in Zionists, grant victory to Palestinian mujahideen and deprive Zionists of security. He also portrayed Australia's conflict with Islam as a war over people's minds and rejected the obligation to adopt Australian values. Mohtadi was pursuing plans for a multimillion-dollar Islamic complex through his registered charitable organization. The Islamic Information and Services Network of Australasia, which published his statements, remains a registered Australian charity and has received government support for community events and educational initiatives. UAE investigators determined that al-Hammami's extremist beliefs emerged in Australia, where he encountered material glorifying terrorist organizations and suicide attacks. He confessed to acting alone, while authorities continued investigating his connections and possible accomplices. Investigators have not established that Mohtadi or MyCentre contributed to his radicalization or the planned attack.

Passenger intervention, prayers and songs

The cockpit door was opened during the incident by the attacked pilot, allowing several passengers to enter. Passengers also said that the wounded captain managed to leave the cockpit door accessible before collapsing, allowing the Israeli passengers to enter and intervene. Machchhar may have opened it before collapsing.

According to the wounded Indian pilot, Capt. Smit Machchhar, he had opened the cockpit door while on the floor of the plane and actively being attacked by his Omani copilot.

Yaniv Hayun, an Israeli passenger, a plumber, with an aviation background, said he grabbed the suspected attacker, placed him in a chokehold and pulled him from the cockpit. Hayun also said he subsequently pulled back on the aircraft's controls until another pilot took control.

The Indian pilot Smit Machchhar, "wounded flydubai pilot used ‘last moments of his energy’ to click open cockpit door so hijacker could be subdued." Hayun said he believed the captain had managed to open the cockpit door before collapsing, allowing passengers to enter. Hayun said the attacker was trying to destroy the aircraft's instruments to disable the aircraft when he grabbed and choked him and pulled him out of the cockpit. Hayun then returned to the cockpit and pulled the controls, saying that he watched Air Crash Investigation and that the aircraft began to level out. A pilot who was traveling aboard the aircraft subsequently told Hayun that he was taking control, and two pilots who were aboard then took over the cockpit and eventually landed the aircraft safely.

While the plane was nosediving Yariv Hayun was knocked down but managed to get up and grabbed the stick to stabilize the plane.

Assaf Rajuan and Manes entered the cockpit and helped overpower the attacker, with assistance from some crew members. Rajuan said the attacker was kept neutralized for approximately 50 minutes until the aircraft landed in Saudi Arabia. Rajuan said that other passengers helped block the doors and fight to protect the passengers, families and crew.

Zvika Manes (Tali's husband) helped restrain the attacker using cables from the multimedia headphones distributed on the flight. He said the attacker was subsequently tied up and neutralized, requiring considerable physical force, and that the attacker continued struggling before being restrained.

Other passengers and crew members helped restrain the co-pilot. Reports said the passengers restrained the suspect by binding his hands and legs.

Musaev said he initially rushed forward to fight the suspected attacker rather than to provide medical treatment, and treated the captain only after the suspect had been restrained. He said the suspect continued trying to break free and that passengers tied both his legs and hands several times before he calmed down.

Ynet identified four Israeli passengers as playing distinct roles in the intervention: Yaniv Hayun grabbed and choked the suspected attacker and later pulled back on the aircraft's controls; Assaf Rajuan and Zvika Manes helped overpower and restrain the suspect; and dentist Shota Musaev treated the wounded captain and stopped his bleeding.

Passengers intervened while the aircraft was in distress. GB News reported that Israeli passengers helped restrain the attacker alongside members of the crew, with one passenger recounting that those aboard prayed, "Shema Yisrael", during the incident.

The terrifying scene was especially difficult for the many families and young children aboard the aircraft. “I Started Talking To Hashem” (God): Children recounted terrifying moments as Flydubai plane plunged.

Passengers aboard Flydubai Flight FZ1073 from Dubai to Tel Aviv sang the Hebrew prayer “Avinu Malkeinu” (“Our Father, Our King”) in relief after the aircraft made a safe emergency landing in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, on September 30, 2026. Video footage shared on social media showed passengers singing in Hebrew after the aircraft landed in Saudi Arabia.

Medical treatment of the captain

Israeli dentist Shota Musaev, who was among those involved, provided emergency medical treatment to the wounded captain.

Musaev told Ynet that the captain was in very serious condition with heavy bleeding from his head and hands. He said he was the only doctor on the plane, managed to stop the bleeding, and that the captain remained fairly stable until close to landing, when his condition deteriorated somewhat. Musaev said the captain remained able to communicate while lying on the floor and told those around him that he was 39 and had two children.

Passenger and medical accounts also described the role of Musaev, who treated the injured captain after the cockpit struggle.

Diversion and landing

The aircraft was diverted to Saudi Arabia and landed safely in Tabuk. Both pilots were injured during the incident. The wounded captain, identified in reports as Indian national Smit Machchhar, underwent surgery and was reported to be in stable condition.

Ynet reported that two pilots who were aboard the aircraft took over the cockpit after Hayun had pulled back on the controls and that they eventually landed the aircraft safely.

Reports subsequently said that the passengers returned to Israel aboard another Flydubai aircraft. Ynet reported that all 174 passengers, including 27 children, returned to Israel.

Aviation sources and flight-tracking data

According to Flightradar24, FZ1073 departed Dubai at 03:05 UTC and reached approximately 34,000 feet before beginning a series of abrupt altitude changes at approximately 05:21 UTC.

The aircraft subsequently transmitted transponder code 7700, followed by 7500, before returning to 7700 and diverting to Tabuk. Flightradar24 reported that its last received ADS-B signal indicated that the aircraft had landed safely at Tabuk.

The aviation publication The Aviationist independently reported the rapid altitude changes, emergency transponder signals and diversion to Tabuk, citing flight-tracking data from Flightradar24 and other aviation sources.

AeroTime subsequently reported that flydubai suspended flights to and from Israel while authorities continued their investigation into the FZ1073 incident.

Aviation experts quoted by Reuters reconstructed the physical forces passengers experienced during the 30-second, 16,000-foot plunge aboard Flydubai Flight FZ1073: “Like a vertical roller coaster” — the dive.

Hamam al-Hammami / "Radical Islamist indoctrination"

Hamam al-Hammami is the Omani pilot who has been identified by authorities and media reports as the co-pilot suspected of attacking another pilot aboard the flight.

Born in the UAE, with an Omani father and a Syrian mother.

Al-Hammami reportedly worked for Oman Air for approximately seven years. Sources cited by CNN said that concerns about his extremist or radical views arose during his employment and that he was removed from flight training and assigned another role at the airline. He subsequently worked for Royal Air Maroc and later joined Flydubai, where he had reportedly worked for approximately eight months before the incident.

His LinkedIn profile, which has since been deleted, stated that he studied aviation management at Buckinghamshire New University in England. A university source confirmed that a person by that name completed a three-year distance-learning course and graduated in 2023. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu broke down the harrowing details of the Flydubai terrorist attempt:

"He was going to down that plane." • The copilot had undergone radical Islamist indoctrination. • He abandoned his seat to jam the instruments and force the plane down • An Israeli hero plumber broke into the cockpit and yanked him away. • .. restrained him using headset cords before plastic ties were secured • While subdued, the attacker shouted "Kill me, kill me".

On Oct 2, WSJ reported that the Omani Arab Flydubai hijacker was previously banned from flying in Oman over radicalization concerns.

Extremist and al-Qaeda-related material

Significant reported evidence concerning al-Hammami's extremist ideology comes from deleted social-media accounts attributed to him.

According to CNN, a video posted to an account bearing his name and photographs contained footage of aircraft belonging to Israeli airlines, including El Al and Arkia. The video reportedly concluded with photographs of Ayman al-Zawahiri, the former leader of al-Qaeda, and Humam Khalil Abu-Mulal al-Balawi, an al-Qaeda-linked suicide bomber who carried out the 2009 Camp Chapman attack in Afghanistan, killing seven CIA personnel and other victims.

An Israeli official told The Times of Israel that al-Hammami's social-media accounts contained discussions about killing Jews and described the material as evidence of jihadist radicalization. The official also said al-Hammami had asked Emirati crew members to kill him after he was subdued during the incident.

According to ABC News, in 2024, while he was still a co-pilot with Oman Air, “extremist materials” were found in his possession, prompting the airline to remove him from flying duties, though he continued working for the company in an administrative role.

Saudi network Al Arabiya reported that al-Hamami became radicalized while staying in Syria. “He spent most of his time outside Oman, particularly in Syria,” the network reported. His mother is Syrian.

Other reported ideological material

CNN reported that an analysis of al-Hammami's deleted Twitter account found strongly conservative religious views in posts from 2021 and 2022, nearly 3,000 deleted tweets were analyzed and categorized using an AI-powered semantic-search model.

A reported social-media post contained an AI-generated image depicting Islam's three holiest sites — Mecca, Medina and Jerusalem — connected by a glowing trail. The accompanying poem reportedly expressed themes of rejecting humiliation, not fearing death and defending one's dignity.

Al-Hammai celebrated beating women, Sharia law in sickening social media posts: ‘Stomp on her head’ and praised giving a woman a “pre-emptive slap” in posts made while he was enrolled at Buckinghamshire New University (BNU). He ranted against Jews and also appeared to praise Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Netanyahu said that al-Hammami was believed to have undergone "Islamist radical indoctrination".

An Israeli official separately told The Times of Israel that the suspect's social-media accounts contained references to killing Jews and indicated jihadist radicalization. Thus, a genocidal racist Arab Muslim.

Hamam al-Hammami: Syria & Australia Investigation Timeline

The timeline for Hamam al-Hammami has been updated to reflect the latest breakthrough intelligence. Law enforcement and intelligence agencies—including the Australian Federal Police (AFP) and ASIO—are now formally investigating a previously undocumented chapter of his life spent in Melbourne, Australia.

Updated Life and Radicalisation Timeline

• c. 1996/1997 — Birth:

Born in the UAE to an Omani father and a Syrian mother.

• 2011–2014 — Youth in Syria: Following the outbreak of the Syrian Civil War, he spent several teenage years living in Syria. Security officials suspect this war-torn environment exposed him to violent extremist networks.

• 2015–2017 — The Australia Chapter:

Al-Hammami was granted an Australian student visa in 2014. He arrived in Australia in 2015 to study engineering at a Melbourne university. Intelligence files reveal that while living in Australia, he allegedly frequented radical mosques and monitored extremist web portals. He abruptly left Australia in 2017, and his student visa was officially terminated in 2019.

• February 2018 – February 2025 — Oman Air Career:

He returned to the Middle East and was hired by Oman Air. Concurrently, he completed a remote, online distance-learning aviation management degree through Buckinghamshire New University in the UK (graduating in 2023). By January 2022, he was promoted to First Officer on the Boeing 737.

• 2024 — Omani Security Flag:

Omani authorities intercepted al-Qaeda propaganda and extremist assets on his social media and electronic devices. Deemed a major security liability, he was permanently barred from commercial cockpits, stripped of flight duties, and hidden away in a corporate desk job. Omani intelligence explicitly tied his radical worldview to his prior years in Syria.

• June 2025 – January 2026 — Morocco:

He resigned from Oman Air and relocated to North Africa, securing a brief 7-month employment window with Royal Air Maroc.

• 'February 2026 — Hiring by Flydubai:

Al-Hammami cleared basic onboarding to become a First Officer at Flydubai. The budget carrier bypassed deep security vetting with Omani state institutions, missing his active terrorism red flags. Intelligence reports indicate he operated a flight to Tel Aviv earlier in 2026 intending to strike then, but aborted the plan.

• September 30, 2026 — The FZ1073 Terror Attack:

While operating a commercial flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv, al-Hammami extracted the cockpit's emergency crash axe and viciously attacked the captain, Smit Machchhar, from behind. His intended objective was to commandeer the aircraft and crash it directly into a high-density target at Israel's Ben Gurion International Airport. The severely wounded captain managed to open the cockpit door twice, allowing passengers and cabin crew to rush inside, overwhelm al-Hammami, and safely divert the plane to Tabuk, Saudi Arabia.

The crew

The crew clashed with Israeli passengers, demanded tied-up terror pilot be freed. "They asked us to release the terrorist, we had no idea why. They said: 'You are not God, you are not going to kill him.' We didn't want to kill him, we just wanted him not to kill us." One of the trio, who was sitting in the second row on the plane, said that "they told us to release the terrorist – and we immediately became suspicious of them."

“We wanted him to live so he could be investigated,” one of the trio said.

A power struggle ensued, with the crewmembers insisting that they were in charge of the plane and needed to remain alone in the area directly in front of the cockpit. The Israelis, fearing the crew could be involved in the pilot’s plot, ordered the stewards to leave the cockpit area and take seats in the middle of the plane.

“We told them, ‘Now the policy is we’re in charge and you do what we say,’” one of the trio said. “We didn’t know what to think, we were in a suspicious mode for every steward.” A group of passengers, escorted the crew members to seats in the fifth or sixth row, away from the cockpit.

“We shouted at them and told them to sit down,” said one of the trio, who has two children and two granddaughters.

The trio then enlisted a “big guy” to guard the cockpit and prevent anyone from entering.

In addition, They "put an Israeli guard on every crew member.”

(It was only later on the crew attended to the passengers, children, giving drinking water, etc.)

The Saudis

"Saudi-Israel cooperation incomplete during flydubai incident," reported JPost. Although the Saudis received and assisted the Israeli passengers aboard the flydubai flight, they did not fully cooperate with Israel.

Netanyahu told CNN's Jim Sciutto that al-Hammami had been interrogated in Saudi Arabia, where the plane was diverted, with Israel involved in the investigation. Netanyahu said he had spoken with UAE President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed and that the UAE president agreed that Israel would join the interrogations.

Miracles

Writer, educator Aviva Klompas:

"A series of open miracles on the flydubai flight that very nearly went down with a plane full of passengers.

Miracle 1: A plane full of people survived an attempt by the copilot to crash their aircraft. Passengers and crew broke into the cockpit and subdued the attacker after he stabbed the captain.

Miracle 2: Two off-duty flydubai pilots happened to be on board. They took control of the plunging aircraft and landed it safely.

Miracle 3: The plane plummeted and spun out of control - spiraling some 17,000 feet. It ultimately touched down with a chunk of its rudder missing.

Miracle 4: They landed in Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia has no diplomatic relations with Israel. Yet when an aircraft carrying Israelis was in mortal danger, Saudi Arabia became their refuge. Saudi authorities received them, kept them safe, and got them onto a replacement aircraft that flew them directly from Saudi soil to Tel Aviv. For all the reasons to despair about the Middle East, don't miss what happened today."

Reception in Israel

After returning to Israel, passengers were greeted at Ben Gurion Airport amid emotional scenes. Israel National News reported that passengers were received with singing and applause.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met Yaniv Hayun, one of the passengers who had helped subdue the Islamic attacker. Israel National News reported that Netanyahu embraced Hayun and praised his actions, while describing the meeting in the context of a national response to the incident.

JFeed likewise reported that Netanyahu met Hayun and his family at the airport and praised his courage.

Ynet reported that Hayun landed in Israel with his shirt stained with blood but said he had not been injured. The report also said that Hayun spent much of the day speaking with Prime Minister Netanyahu.

Netanyahu used the phrase "a nation of lions" [Numb. 23:24] in receiving the hero passenger, who helped stop the attacker.

Thanking God

After a frightening incident on a flight from Dubai to Israel, tens of thousands gathered at the Western Wall for the traditional Priestly Blessing. They offered prayers of thanksgiving for the passengers’ rescue and prayed for IDF soldiers, security forces, and Jewish unity.

Nearly one million people have visited the Western Wall Plaza during Sukkot. The holiday's main events included two Priestly Blessing ceremonies attended by tens of thousands, including former hostages and bereaved families.

The traditional Hakafot Shniyot ceremony will take place at the Western Wall Plaza on Saturday night, October 3, beginning at 10:00 p.m. It will include musical performances and will be dedicated to Hallel and prayers of thanksgiving in response to the miracles that occurred. Thousands of Israelis gathered at Joseph's Tomb to pray and give thanks for the safe return of everyone aboard the Flydubai flight.

Dr. Shota Musaev, who helped the pilot during the Flydubai incident, recited the traditional blessing after being delivered from danger.

MSM initial "reporting"

Social media users strongly criticized international media coverage of the Flydubai incident for initially describing it as a fight or altercation between pilots. The flight was carrying 174 people when the co-pilot stabbed the captain and the aircraft entered a steep descent of nearly 14,000 feet in 30 seconds. Passengers and crew members entered the cockpit, subdued the co-pilot, and helped stabilize the aircraft before, while Israeli authorities sent fighter jets because of fears of a hijacking. Some outlets initially described the event only as a fight between pilots. The BBC first called it a physical altercation and later included details about the stabbing and passengers’ intervention. It also mistakenly referred to Ben Gurion Airport as “Ben Gvir Airport.” The New York Times described the diversion as following a confrontation between the pilot and co-pilot it was diverted to Tabuk, Saudi Arabia.

The Associated Press reported that the co-pilot appeared to be attempting to crash the plane, while Israeli authorities sent fighter jets because of fears of a hijacking. Some outlets initially described the event only as a fight between pilots. The BBC first called it a physical altercation and later included details about the stabbing and passengers’ intervention. It also mistakenly referred to Ben Gurion Airport as “Ben Gvir Airport.” The New York Times described the diversion as following a confrontation between the pilot and co-pilot, while the Guardian called it an apparent brawl and said Israeli officials were investigating whether it was an attempted terror attack.

Conservative Ben Shapiro reviewed the Flydubai incident and praised the passengers and crew who prevented the aircraft from crashing. He said the co-pilot repeatedly stabbed the captain and then attempted to take control of the aircraft and crash it.

Shapiro emphasized the aircraft's rapid descent and said passengers and a crew member broke into the cockpit and subdued the attacker. Passengers restrained the co-pilot, an off-duty pilot helped in the cockpit, and a doctor treated the wounded captain. Shapiro credited the passengers and the injured captain for making the intervention possible.

He said the flight carried 174 people, including children, and argued that the large number of Israeli passengers increased the likelihood that people with military experience and medical training were aboard and ready to help.

Shapiro said the passengers’ actions prevented not only a human tragedy but also a potential international crisis involving Oman, the United Arab Emirates, Israel, India, and other countries in the region. He strongly criticized media coverage that characterized the incident as a cockpit scuffle and said the political motivation remained unknown. He said authorities would need to determine whether anyone had coordinated the incident from outside.

The aircraft landed safely in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, and the passengers later returned to Israel on a replacement Flydubai aircraft.

Bill Maher commented: “It did seem like the media is always a little reluctant to call it terrorism when it’s obviously terrorism. After a while, they do." "But I noticed when the Hamas propaganda is out there, boy, that gets fast-tracked.”

Australian aviation expert Byron Bailey was cut off during an interview on News24 after pointing out a religious Islamist motive behind the Flydubai attack.

Al-Qaeda

On Oct 2, Al Qaeda, in a vile post referencing 9/11 and praising the Dubai flight hijacker — whose social media accounts shared photos of one of the terror group's leaders, it called for copycats to target US citizens on planes while praising Dubai flight hijacker: ‘America will end’.

Aftermath

The injured captain was hospitalized in Saudi Arabia and subsequently reported to be in stable condition following surgery. The co-pilot was reported to have been arrested following the emergency landing. Upon their return to Israel, passengers were received at Ben Gurion Airport. Israeli media reported emotional scenes, including singing and applause.

Ynet reported that Saudi medical teams subsequently treated the captain and that Musaev was told the pilot had survived and was no longer in immediate danger.

Israeli authorities also began examining Flydubai's use of crew members from countries with which Israel does not maintain diplomatic relations. Israel Hayom reported that Israel was auditing the circumstances surrounding the crew and the UAE-Israel aviation arrangements.

See also

• Islamism
• 911
• Abraham Accords