Netanyahu Cancels Southern Command Visit After Flydubai Incident; Passengers to be Questioned by Shin Bet

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu canceled a planned visit to the Southern Military Command headquarters on Wednesday, September 30, following an incident aboard a Flydubai flight en route to Israel. The flight was forced to make an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia due to suspicions that the co-pilot, an Omani national, attempted to crash the aircraft. Netanyahu, along with IDF Chief of Staff Aviv Kochavi and Defense Minister Israel Katz, were scheduled to be at the Southern Command. Instead, they will hold security consultations regarding the incident.

Security officials are increasingly assessing the event as a potential terrorist attack. The Shin Bet is conducting a thorough investigation, though concrete evidence is currently lacking. Passengers are expected to be evacuated by an IDF aircraft once necessary approvals are obtained. Due to the absence of diplomatic relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia, the process requires high-level government approval.

Israeli representatives are involved in the interrogation of the Omani co-pilot in Saudi Arabia. The Shin Bet will question the passengers upon their arrival in Israel. The suspicion is that one pilot intended to crash the plane and was subdued with the help of passengers. An Israeli security source stated that an undercover security officer helped subdue the pilot, and other pilots on board assisted with the landing. The Mossad is handling negotiations with Saudi Arabia for the flight's departure.

The incident involved a significant and rapid loss of altitude, with the aircraft dropping from over 10,400 meters to 4,300 meters in a short period. The co-pilot is identified as Omani, while the other pilot is from the UAE. El Al had previously offered assistance in returning the passengers, but a flight to Saudi Arabia is unlikely due to diplomatic limitations.