A possible hijacking of an Israel-bound passenger jet triggered a major security alert across the region.
Fly Dubai Flight 1073 was traveling from Dubai to Tel Aviv when the aircraft suddenly transmitted “7500,” the international emergency code for possible unlawful interference or hijacking.
Israel scrambled fighter jets while Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and senior security officials held urgent consultations.
The plane then changed course, eventually landing safely in Saudi Arabia. Yasmin Abukasis’s daughter called her from the flight.
Yasmin Abukasis, whose daughter was on the flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv, recalled, “She told me she thought she was going to die. She said they heard shouting and screaming. Somebody was asking for help. It was a pilot. He was screaming, ‘Help, help, help!’”
Israeli officials say the emergency apparently began with a violent altercation between the two pilots, with reports that one pilot pulled a knife on the other.
Abukasis explained, “The plane started to lose control, so all the people were screaming. They thought they were going to die. After a few minutes, two other pilots took control, and a few Israelis rushed toward the man. He took a knife and tried to kill the pilot. They grabbed his hand and put him on the floor.”
Crew members, with help from Israelis on board, reportedly subdued the pilot.
At one point, the aircraft plunged more than 13,000 feet. Authorities are now investigating exactly what happened and why.
The midair scare comes as Israel is already on heightened alert.
Netanyahu says there are indications Israel’s enemies may attempt an attack before the country’s October 27 election.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said, “From this Air Force base, I have a message: Don’t mess with us, not now, not ever. Our long arm will reach you anywhere, at any time.”
Netanyahu also held quiet talks with Gulf leaders over the weekend, focused in part on containing Iran and its proxies.
Meanwhile, another major shift is unfolding in the region.
The U.S. military has completed its withdrawal from Iraq, ending the U.S.-led coalition’s 12-year military mission.
The departure raises concerns about what comes next and whether Iranian-backed militias or ISIS could exploit the vacuum in a country where nearly 4,500 American service members lost their lives.
