Netanyahu Talks About "Suicidal Tendencies" and "Radical Islamic Ideas" of the Suspect in the "Fly Dubai" Incident

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that the suspect in the "Fly Dubai" incident is being interrogated, and it has been confirmed that he "was subjected to indoctrination of extremist Islamic ideas." Netanyahu told "Fox News" on Thursday: "It seems that this is what we gather from his personal information."

The Israeli Prime Minister added to the network that it is too early to say whether the suspect, who is the assistant to the pilot, is connected to Iran or any other entity, but he said that this will become clear, one way or another, in the coming days. Netanyahu pointed out that the attacker clearly had suicidal tendencies; after the passengers - including a plumber who intervened to thwart the alleged assistant pilot's attempts to disable the aircraft's systems - managed to subdue him, he shouted: "Kill me," according to Netanyahu.

Netanyahu said: "It is clear that he had suicidal tendencies, and this is indisputable," adding that it is "very likely" that he intended to bring down the plane. The Israeli Prime Minister indicated two possibilities for how the attacker obtained the weapon he used to assault the pilot.

According to Netanyahu, the assistant pilot may not have been required to pass through a metal detector before boarding the plane. He said: "Passengers go through a metal detector, but I am not sure that pilots always do that," according to "Fox News."

He added: "Therefore, he could have carried a knife or an axe." Another possibility is that he used an axe that was already on board the plane; Netanyahu said: "He may have obtained an axe from the equipment that is part of the standard fittings for this type of aircraft."

He added: "We are investigating the matter, and we cannot draw conclusions yet." Captain Smit Matchehar, an Indian pilot, was stabbed while helping to thwart an attempted hijacking of a Fly Dubai flight heading to Israel on Wednesday.

Dr. Shota Musayev, a dentist who was on board the plane, told Ufaq News that Matchehar suffered from "severe blood loss" and sustained "serious injuries." Following the plane's landing, Matchehar was taken to a hospital in the city of Tabuk in Saudi Arabia, and current reports indicate that his condition is stable.

An Israeli official told Ufaq News that the co-pilot had only been working for Fly Dubai for 8 months before the alleged attack. It is noted that the suspect holds Omani nationality, but his identity has not yet been publicly disclosed.

International investigators are working to determine the motives behind his alleged stabbing of the pilot and attempt to take control of the aircraft.