Israel minister Ben-Gvir to demand flydubai co-pilot's extradition after foiled ‘crash bid’. UAE asserts ‘jurisdiction’ over probe
Israel's national security minister Itamar Ben-Gvir will reportedly demand the extradition of the flydubai co-pilot who allegedly attempted to crash the Tel Aviv-bound plane with nearly 180 people onboard on Wednesday.
File photo of Israel's National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir. (AFP)The minister is likely to make the demand at Thursday's security cabinet meeting, The Jerusalem Post reported, citing statement from Ben-Gvir's office. Track live updates on flydubai incident
The meeting comes following the major security scare after a co-pilot of the flydubai plane allegedly tried to crash the aircraft.
“Anyone who planned to crash a plane and murder 180 Israelis must be extradited to Israel and pay the heaviest price here. We cannot be satisfied with the fact that the disaster was prevented through abundant divine mercy and thanks to our heroic passengers,” Ben-Gvir was quoted as saying.
The suspect is currently being held in Saudi Arabia after the aircraft, carrying 174 people, including 27 children, made an emergency landing at Tabuk on Wednesday following an altercation in the cockpit.
Neither Saudi Arabia, where the plane was diverted and the suspect is being held, nor Oman, the co-pilot's home country, has diplomatic ties with Israel, potentially making a direct extradition effort complicated.
Day after the midair stabbing incident, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on Thursday ordered a probe into the incident and said that it would also examine any “terror” link.
UAE's ministry of foreign affairs said in statement that a panel would be formed to investigate the circumstances and cause of the incident, given that the aircraft was registered in the country and bears its flag.
In its statement, the ministry said that UAE was “closely following the incident involving flydubai flight FZ1073 from Dubai International Airport to Tel Aviv, which was diverted and landed safely at Tabuk Airport in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.”
“In a statement, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) stated that Counsellor Dr. Hamad Al Shamsi, UAE Attorney-General, had ordered the formation of a team comprising specialised members of the Public Prosecution to investigate the circumstances and causes of the incident,” it said in a post on X.
The ministry said that the UAE authorities had the “jurisdiction to investigate the incident under applicable legislation, as the aircraft is registered in the UAE and bears its flag.” “Accordingly, UAE law applies to crimes committed on board the aircraft, even when they occur outside UAE territory,” the statement added.
The flight with 174 people onboard was headed Tel Aviv from Dubai when the co-pilot allegedly stabbed the captain, setting off a scuffle inside the cockpit.
The plane – Boeing 737 MAX 8 – plunged nearly 14,000 feet (4,267 metres) in less than 30 seconds over northern Saudi Arabia. The aircraft issued a hijack alert before diverting to Tabuk.
A mishap was averted with timely intervention of the passengers and the crew who entered the cockpit and overpowered the co-pilot. Two other flydubai pilots who were aboard the flight took control and landed the safely in Saudi Arabia, according to Israeli officials.
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