Omani Co-Pilot Attempts Hijack of FlyDubai Flight to Tel Aviv

An Omani co-pilot attempted to hijack and crash a FlyDubai flight carrying 182 people to Tel Aviv on Wednesday. The attacker used a cockpit crash axe to assault the Indian captain, Smit Machchhar, during the aircraft's descent. Captain Machchhar opened the cockpit door, enabling passengers and crew to overpower the attacker and secure the plane.

The United Arab Emirates is leading the investigation and has characterized the incident as a terrorist attack. Emirati authorities stated they shared passenger and crew lists with Israel before departure. However, Israel did not flag the co-pilot, who had previously been barred from flying in Oman due to extremist views. Australian police are also investigating the attacker's potential connections to Australia.

The incident has triggered a political dispute within the Israeli government regarding security failures. The domestic security agency Shin Bet claims the Transportation Ministry is responsible for vetting foreign flight lists. Transportation Minister Miri Regev denied receiving the list and asserted that security agencies hold that responsibility. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that agreements exist to prevent pilots from non-diplomatic nations from flying into Israel.