Two Israeli Sources: The Co-Pilot of the "Fly Dubai" Flight May Have Attempted to Hijack the Plane to Crash It or Take Hostages

- Two Israeli sources told Afaaq News on Wednesday that they suspect the co-pilot on board the "Fly Dubai" flight heading to Israel was attempting to hijack the plane after stabbing the captain. The sources reported that it is still unclear whether the intention was to crash the plane or to land it and take hostages.

The captain and co-pilot were injured in the incident that occurred during the flight to Tel Aviv, which was forced to make an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia. A spokesperson for "Fly Dubai" stated earlier on Wednesday that flight number FZ 1073 "experienced an incident during the flight" and landed at Tabuk Airport in northwestern Saudi Arabia, confirming that all passengers are safe and sound.

Israeli officials and an informed source also mentioned that Israeli authorities suspect that what happened on the flight to Tel Aviv may have been an attempt at a terrorist attack. One official stated that the information gathered by Israeli authorities indicates that the co-pilot attempted to stab the pilot, and that an Israeli passenger helped subdue the co-pilot.

The source added that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu canceled his schedule to hold consultations with senior security officials in Israel regarding the incident. Two photos, apparently taken on board the flight, show a passenger wearing a shirt and jeans stained with blood.

The two photos, which have been widely circulated on social media, show the unidentified man sitting in his seat and standing, appearing to be unharmed but with large blood stains on his clothes. Many who were on the flight told Israeli media that passengers were able to subdue the attacker after he stabbed the pilot.