Israeli minister claims ‘terrorist’ wanted to crash plane after Israel-bound flight’s emergency landing – latest

Israeli media say incident, which raised fears of possible hijacking, stemmed from feud between plane’s two pilots

• Full report: Israel-bound passenger plane makes emergency landing in Saudi Arabia

An Israeli minister has decried what he described as a “terrorist” incident to kill Israelis after a flight was forced to land in Saudi Arabia when a physical altercation between the pilot and co-pilot prompted initial fears of a hijacking.

A Boeing 737 Max 8 with up to 180 passengers on board made an emergency landing at Saudi Arabia’s Tabuk airport this morning after transmitting three emergency signals, one of which indicated what is known as a possible unlawful interference. Israeli media have reported dramatic testimonies and video from people on board, with some describing passengers storming the cockpit to subdue the attacker and one of the pilots being seriously injured.