Israel Probes Security Failures After UAE Flight Attack

An investigation in the United Arab Emirates has revealed that a Flydubai co-pilot attacked the captain with an emergency axe and attempted to seize control of the aircraft during a flight. Simultaneously, questions are arising in Israel regarding what authorities knew about the co-pilot, identified as Hamam Al-Hamami, and when they knew it. Reports suggest Al-Hamami had previously flown to Israel, and his details were known to Israel's Shin Bet security agency and Ministry of Transport. While officials from the Ministry of Transport have not confirmed this, they stated they currently lack such information. Adding to the complexity, Israel's Tax Authority confirmed that flight crew lists for Flydubai are submitted in advance, meaning crew details were provided to authorities before their arrival in Israel. This has prompted a broader review to determine if pilots from countries like Iran, Syria, and Iraq have landed at Ben Gurion Airport in recent years. Further details emerged from American media reports indicating that Al-Hamami was suspended by his previous employer, Oman Air, in 2024 due to religious extremist radicalization. The UAE's Attorney General officially classified the incident as a "terrorist act," confirming Al-Hamami used an emergency axe, a tool already present in the cockpit, to attack the captain and attempt to take over the plane's controls. This official classification shifts the focus to pre-flight knowledge, making the reports of his suspension and prior travel to Israel, along with the advance submission of crew lists, central to the ongoing investigation.