Israeli Passengers Thwart Alleged Jihadist Attack on Flydubai Flight

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz stated that Israeli passengers aboard a Flydubai flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv heroically prevented a "jihadist terrorist attack" that aimed to crash the plane. Katz detailed that the passengers "burst into the cockpit, neutralized the terrorist, and with their own hands returned control of the aircraft to another flight crew on board." He added that the preliminary information suggests the terrorist's sole objective was to cause the plane to crash with all passengers. Katz used the incident to emphasize that warnings issued by him and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, based on intelligence, should be taken seriously by both external adversaries and former Israeli officials who he claims no longer have access to current data. He stressed that these warnings can target multiple parties and serve various purposes, but they do not diminish Israel's active efforts and those of the IDF to counter threats.

Prime Minister Netanyahu had previously addressed Israeli citizens following the incident, thanking those who displayed courage and promptness in preventing the emergency and saving lives. He also canceled a planned visit to the Southern Military Command headquarters in the wake of the event.