Woman Awaits Daughter at Airport, Learns Flight Landed in Saudi Arabia After Attack

Yasmine Abuksis waited at Ben Gurion Airport for her daughter's return after 11 months abroad, timed for the memorial of her brother who fell on October 7th. Instead of a reunion, Abuksis received a distressing call from her daughter, who was in Saudi Arabia after an apparent attack on the cockpit crew during the Flydubai flight from Dubai.

According to Abuksis, her daughter described a violent struggle near the cockpit, witnessing one pilot stab another with a utility knife. The daughter recounted how the plane then began a rapid, turbulent descent, causing panic among passengers who feared a crash. Some Israeli passengers reportedly intervened, subduing the assailant and tying his hands.

Despite the apparent resolution of the immediate threat, the flight continued to lose altitude, leaving passengers in fear. Abuksis stated that two additional pilots, who were among the passengers, eventually took control of the aircraft. Her daughter, alone and terrified, prayed and recited Psalms, fearing she would not survive to see her mother again, especially after already losing a sibling.

Abuksis expressed anger and disappointment with the official response, stating she received no formal updates or support from any Israeli authorities for hours after learning of the incident. She questioned the lack of involvement from the Foreign Ministry and other relevant bodies, feeling abandoned as she and her two other children waited at the airport. The incident, she said, brought back the trauma of October 7th, but this time, thankfully, there was a miraculous survival.

Her daughter was eventually able to disembark in Saudi Arabia, and Abuksis was awaiting her safe return to Israel, hoping for a hug to finally bring her peace.