Israeli Investigators Suspect Co-Pilot Acted Alone in Flydubai Incident

Initial Israeli investigations into the attempted hijacking of a Flydubai flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv suggest the co-pilot acted as a "lone attacker," according to CBS News, citing sources familiar with the investigation. However, these sources emphasized that the investigation is ongoing and all avenues remain open. The co-pilot is currently in the United Arab Emirates undergoing a second round of questioning, after initially being interrogated by Saudi authorities. Israel has sent its own representatives to the UAE to participate in the investigation.

U.S. President Donald Trump raised the possibility of an Iranian connection on Thursday, stating, "We are working on it now. They are very open with us. I would say the answer, from what I'm hearing, is yes. But we are still working on it." Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told CBS on Wednesday that the motive remains unclear, stating, "I don't think it was a hijacking. I think it looks like a suicide attempt." The following day, Netanyahu told Fox News that Israel knows the co-pilot "underwent a process of Islamist radicalization," based on "personal information" gathered during the investigation. He added that after being subdued by crew and passengers, the co-pilot shouted, "Kill me, kill me."

While the co-pilot has not been officially identified publicly, sources told CBS that his name is Hamas Al-Hamami. According to these sources, Al-Hamami briefly worked for Oman Air and began his pilot training there. During surveillance by Omani authorities, it was discovered that he browsed extremist websites, leading the company to transfer him to a desk job. He later resigned and left the company around 2024. Al-Hamami had previously been removed from a flight in Oman due to concerns about radicalization but was later hired by Flydubai after background checks focused primarily on his criminal record. Four countries are currently investigating his motives.

Sources also reported that Al-Hamami had at one point posted a video of El Al planes in Dubai, which concluded with a picture of Ayman al-Zawahiri, the former leader of Al-Qaeda. He later moved to Dubai and was hired by Flydubai, reportedly without the company conducting a check with Omani authorities. Al-Hamami is an Omani citizen, though sources indicate he was not born in Oman and lived most of his life abroad. His mother is Syrian and his father is Omani. The Omani government has not publicly confirmed his citizenship. Sources added that he may have held dual citizenship, which could explain how he was permitted to fly to Israel.

CNN revealed that accounts attributed to Hamas Al-Hamami included images of El Al and Arkia planes, pictures of Al-Qaeda figures, and nearly 3,000 deleted tweets. The network emphasized that it is unclear who posted the videos after the incident.