Channel 14 News Israel

Category: Israel

  • Israel Seeks Extradition of Omani Pilot from Saudi Arabia

    Israel Seeks Extradition of Omani Pilot from Saudi Arabia

    The Prime Minister’s Office and the Ministry of Justice in Jerusalem are actively pursuing legal and diplomatic avenues to secure custody of the Omani first officer who attempted to hijack and crash flydubai Flight FZ1073. The terrorist, who sustained severe injuries when courageous Israeli passengers wrestled him to the floor inside the flight deck, is currently hospitalized in serious condition under armed guard in the Saudi city of Tabuk, where the airliner executed an emergency diversion.

    Tabuk Airport in Saudi Arabia | Photo: Wikipedia

    Because the attacker is currently held on sovereign Saudi soil—a country with which Israel does not maintain formal diplomatic relations—Israeli officials recognize that direct extradition from Riyadh is highly improbable. Consequently, Jerusalem is focusing on an indirect route: the prospect that Saudi authorities will formally transfer the suspect to the United Arab Emirates, where the flight originated. Israeli officials assess that the Saudis intend to transfer the suspect to Emirati jurisdiction in any case, and harbor hopes that Abu Dhabi might subsequently extradite him to Israel. However, officials emphasize that this possibility is also currently assigned a low probability.

    Meanwhile, the multi-jurisdiction investigation into the thwarted hijacking continues to develop rapidly. A transfer to the UAE would significantly streamline direct Israeli participation, building upon the established security, intelligence, and defense ties linking Jerusalem and Abu Dhabi under the Abraham Accords.

    Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, UAE President Mohamed bin Zayed | Photos: Reuters, Flash90

    Saudi authorities have managed initial interrogations and forensic reviews since the emergency landing in Tabuk. Despite the absence of formal diplomatic ties, operational coordination has taken place between Riyadh and Jerusalem given the extreme sensitivity of the attack and the fact that the airliner was carrying Israeli civilians to Tel Aviv. Meanwhile, the official news agency of the United Arab Emirates (WAM) reported that the UAE Attorney General has directed an independent investigative task force to examine whether the co-pilot had “any affiliation with terrorist activity or terrorist objectives.” While cautioning the public against premature speculation, the Emirati prosecutor confirmed that the team has commenced operations in full coordination with the UAE General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA), running parallel to proceedings in Saudi Arabia.

    Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed the high-stakes developments overnight in interviews with CNN and Fox News, stating that the suspect is undergoing interrogation in Saudi Arabia and noting that the crisis “could easily have turned into another September 11th.” Netanyahu revealed: “I spoke with the President of the United Arab Emirates, Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, who agreed immediately that Israel will join the investigation.” The Prime Minister reiterated that Israel is monitoring the inquiry closely and may directly participate in operational proceedings.

    “Investigating whether cockpit takeover constitutes terror” | Photo: Yossi Aloni, Flash90, Used under Section 27A

    On the domestic security and civil aviation front, the Israeli defense establishment is preparing to restore direct passenger links to the Gulf. Shin Bet delegations are arriving in the United Arab Emirates today to conduct on-site security assessments and establish stringent vetting procedures ahead of the planned resumption of flights by Israeli carriers in the coming days. In addition, the Prime Minister is expected to convene the Political-Security Cabinet shortly to evaluate the wider regional fallout of the attack.

    ראש הממשלה נתניהו במפגש עם יניב אוחיון, ניצול הטיסה מדובאי
    Prime Minister Netanyahu meets with Yaniv Ohayon, one of the heroes of the Dubai flight | Photo: Kobi Gideon, GPO

    Flight FZ1073 was carrying 174 passengers—including 166 Israeli citizens and 27 children—when the Omani first officer drew a blade, stabbed the captain, and attempted to drive the Boeing 737 into a fatal dive. The severely wounded captain fought back and released the flight deck door, allowing four Israeli travelers—Yaniv Ohayon, Assaf Rajwan, Zvika Manas, and Dr. Shota Musaev—to storm the cockpit, neutralize the attacker, and safely preserve the aircraft.

  • Hundreds Pray at Spring Where Natanel Shukrun Was Murdered

    Hundreds Pray at Spring Where Natanel Shukrun Was Murdered

    Hundreds of participants arrived on Thursday morning at the Banba–Ein Riya spring near the community of Neve Tzuf in the Binyamin region for morning prayers and a musical Hallel service in memory of terror victim Netanel Shukrun, and to comfort and strengthen his bereaved family. The moving assembly took place a week and a half after the attack in which Shukrun was murdered at the natural spring as he arrived to ritually immerse with his son on the eve of Yom Kippur. On Thursday morning, the natural site was once again filled with heartfelt prayers and song.

    Netanel Shukrun RIP | Photo: Uncredited

    Immediately after the fatal attack, local youth mobilized to renovate, clean, and restore the spring and its immediate surroundings, driven by an ardent determination to sustain vitality and a continued presence at the site. The Binyamin Regional Council and the Samaria Regional Council held the gathering as a joint initiative, in partnership with Binyamin Plus and the Ministry of  National Missions. The service took place during Chol HaMoed Sukkot. The musical ensemble “Shir Chadash” accompanied the service, along with words of spiritual reinforcement and faith delivered by Rabbi David Dudkevitch, Rabbi Gad Machte, and Rabbi Shai Yaakobovitch.

    The Head of the Binyamin Regional Council and Chairman of the Yesha Council, Israel Ganz, stated: “Returning to the spring represents a definitive victory of life over terrorism. The hundreds of people who arrived this morning offer strength to the Shukrun family and embody the spirit of a nation that continues to deepen its roots even through profound grief. Our gratitude goes to the Minister of Settlement and National Missions, Orit Strock, and her ministry team; our partners in Samaria; council leadership; the Binyamin Plus staff; the municipal leadership and residents of Neve Tzuf; and the youth who stepped up to rebuild the spring. Terrorists seek to sow fear and drive us away from our land. We will continue to build, expand the settlements, and guarantee our residents’ security through unyielding action against terror. They will never defeat us.”

  • Coalition Official: Jet Plot Proves Stakes in Vote

    Coalition Official: Jet Plot Proves Stakes in Vote

    The severe security crisis above Saudi airspace instantly evolved into a fierce political debate on Wednesday, sparking a wave of reactions from across the party spectrum and key political figures. As further details emerge regarding the circumstances of the incident and the radical Islamist, extremist motivations of the Omani first officer, a senior coalition official addressed the attempted mass-casualty plot, asserting that the drama in the skies over the Saudi Kingdom demonstrates why the divergence between the Right and the Left in the upcoming electoral race is critical rather than mere campaign rhetoric.

    Photo: Itai Beit-On / GPO

    According to the senior official, “What we witnessed today was not a criminal event involving an unstable pilot, but an unmistakable, ideologically driven terror attack. An Omani pilot who chose to deliberately crash an airliner carrying 170 Israelis on their way home, driven by sheer hatred of Israel. This is the same ideology that fuels Hamas in Gaza, ‘Palestinian’ Islamic Jihad, and the ‘Palestinian’ Authority in Ramallah.”

    Coalition sources emphasized that the incident starkly illustrates a fundamental divide in national security doctrines. They claimed that while the opposition, led by Yair Lapid and Naftali Bennett, continues to discuss a “diplomatic horizon” and the necessity of territorial concessions and gestures toward the ‘Palestinian’ Authority, the Right understands that one cannot negotiate with an ideology whose explicit aim is the murder of Jews everywhere. “One side wishes to reward that ideology with statehood or territorial autonomy, while the other side recognizes that the only way to prevent the next Arab state is complete security dominance on the ground,” the official added.

    צילום: מד"א
    Photo: Yossi Aloni, Flash90

    The official further noted that the strategic policies advanced over the past two years by Ministers Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben Gvir—bolstering agricultural outposts, halting unauthorized land takeovers, advancing development in the E1 corridor, and expediting the demolition of illegal structures—represent the exact doctrine that must now be applied to civil aviation. He maintained that foreign airlines must not be permitted to transport Israeli passengers without exhaustive Israeli security vetting and rigorous intelligence classification of their cockpit and cabin crews.

    “The upcoming elections are not merely Right versus Left,” the official concluded. “It is a choice between a Right that knows how to confront and defeat terrorism anywhere, from Tabuk to Jenin, or a left-wing government that will fold again and pave the way for the next attack. Today’s event is a sharp reminder that we cannot afford a single second of complacency.”

  • The Chilling Decision Netanyahu Could Have Faced

    The Chilling Decision Netanyahu Could Have Faced

    In a hijacking event involving a civilian airliner threatening to penetrate Israeli airspace, a strictly classified operational protocol is immediately activated. While military censorship bars publication of the directive’s classified codename, the entire Israeli security architecture—from frontline fighter pilots to the Prime Minister—is thoroughly drilled in its execution.

    צילום: מד"א
    Photo: Yossi Aloni, Flash 90

    Under the framework of this contingency, the Prime Minister holds the exclusive, fateful authority to order the shootdown of a rogue commercial aircraft—even when hundreds of Israeli citizens and international travelers are on board. The agonizing rationale rests on the imperative to avert a premeditated mass-casualty crash into dense Israeli population centers, which would inflict catastrophic death tolls on the ground. It is an excruciating command dilemma. Operationally, the procedure begins with an Israeli Air Force fighter jet closing in to visually observe the rogue flight deck; cockpit radio transmissions cannot be trusted, as the flight crew may be operating under direct duress with knives or weapons to their throats. At the same time, a second fighter jet establishes a trailing stand-off formation, locking radar and missile fire-control optics onto the civilian airliner.

    The primary objective is to exhaust every possible tactic to force the hijacked airliner to divert and touch down safely. Concurrently, IAF flight physics algorithms and tactical computers in the Kirya underground command bunker run continuous, rapid equations: calculating aircraft airspeed, interceptor missile velocity, target momentum, and the projected radius of falling debris and ordnance over populated terrain below.

    The flight from Dubai to Israel | Photo: Per Section 27a

    Throughout this entire high-stakes sequence, the Prime Minister maintains a secure, uninterrupted audio link directly with top IAF commanders inside the Kirya command bunker. If all non-kinetic diversion efforts fail, the data trajectory leaves no room for doubt, and it becomes virtually 100% certain that the hijacked aircraft is being deliberately flown to crash into Israeli cities; the operational code phrase “PNR”—an English acronym for “Point of No Return”—is declared over encrypted military channels. At that harrowing moment, the Prime Minister is confronted with an almost impossible decision: whether to authorize the release of an air-to-air missile to destroy an airliner packed with innocent citizens.

    Fortunately, the crisis aboard flydubai Flight FZ1073 was resolved before reaching this fatal threshold, as brave passengers subdued the assailant and allowed the plane to divert safely to Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, without crossing into Israeli airspace. Yet there is little doubt that had the situation deteriorated to that extreme, any decision would have unleashed brutal political fallout: had Netanyahu ordered the plane shot down, critics would have accused him of killing the passengers aboard and generated endless specious “investigative exposés”; had he hesitated and allowed the airliner to crash into an Israeli city, those same voices would have pilloried him for a catastrophic failure of leadership and blamed him for the casualties on the ground.

  • Fly Dubai Flights from Israel Halted Pending Investigation

    Fly Dubai Flights from Israel Halted Pending Investigation

    Emirati carrier flydubai officially announced the indefinite suspension of all commercial flight operations to and from Israel on Wednesday night, following the severe mid-air terror attempt aboard Flight FZ1073. The operational freeze comes in direct coordination with civil aviation authorities and security establishments in both Israel and the United Arab Emirates as the multi-jurisdiction investigation into the cockpit assault continues.

    Photo: Yossi Aloni, Flash90

    “Following the incident involving Flight FZ1073 on September 30, and in close coordination with the relevant authorities, flydubai flights to and from Israel will be suspended while the investigation remains ongoing,” the airline stated in an official release. “The safety and well-being of our passengers, flight crews, and operations remain our paramount priority. This temporary suspension will allow relevant authorities to proceed with their work and establish all the facts surrounding the incident.”

    The carrier added that it is fully committed to supporting the ongoing probe and maintaining the highest safety standards across its global network: “We remain in close coordination with government agencies, aviation regulators, and airport stakeholders, and will review the suspension as additional findings emerge. We sincerely apologize to passengers whose travel itineraries have been disrupted and are actively working to provide support and alternative arrangements wherever possible.”

    Alongside the airline’s suspension, Israel’s domestic security agency, the Shin Bet, has stepped in to maintain essential air connectivity. To prevent thousands of travelers and returning Israelis from being stranded in the UAE, the Shin Bet approved the immediate operation of vetted chartered flights between Tel Aviv and Dubai.

    The decision follows Wednesday morning’s dramatic hijacking attempt, in which the airliner’s Omani first officer stabbed the captain and attempted to crash the Boeing 737 carrying 174 passengers, including 166 Israeli citizens. The catastrophic plot was thwarted mid-air by the wounded captain, off-duty aviators, and Israeli passengers who breached the cockpit, wrestled the attacker down, and safely diverted the jet to Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, before an extraction flight repatriated the travelers to Ben Gurion Airport.

    Photo by Yossi Aloni/Flash90

    For travelers with existing flydubai bookings, scheduled departures from Israel have been canceled. Under the Israeli Aviation Services Law (the “Tibi Law”), affected passengers are entitled to a full monetary refund. However, those needing immediate transit along the Tel Aviv–Dubai corridor will need to buy new tickets on approved chartered flights or alternative carrier routes until the comprehensive intelligence inquiry concludes.

  • Israel: Terror Attack Targeted UAE Ties and Abraham Accords

    Israel: Terror Attack Targeted UAE Ties and Abraham Accords

    The Ministry of Foreign Affairs officially addressed the severe security incident aboard flydubai Flight FZ1073 on Wednesday evening. At the direction of Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar, the Director-General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Eden Bar Tal, held an urgent briefing for all Israeli ambassadors and heads of diplomatic missions worldwide, providing an up-to-date operational assessment to Israeli representatives abroad.

    During the briefing, a resolute message was articulated on behalf of the State of Israel: “This was an attempted terror attack directed against Israeli citizens, the United Arab Emirates, and the Abraham Accords. Terror will not undermine the strong bilateral relations between Israel and the UAE, nor will it derail regional developments.” The ministry reiterated that the regional strategic partnership will persist uncompromisingly, despite hostile attempts to disrupt it.

    Photo: Magen David Adom (MDA)

    The Foreign Ministry noted that from the moment initial reports of the mid-air crisis surfaced on Wednesday morning, the diplomatic apparatus served as a vital anchor in nationwide efforts to secure the safe repatriation of the airliner’s passengers. Relevant operational divisions domestically and overseas diplomatic missions were mobilized immediately, while the MFA Situation Room in Jerusalem sustained uninterrupted communication with passengers’ families inside a designated crisis center.

    Simultaneously with operations in Jerusalem, Israel’s Ambassador to the United Arab Emirates maintained continuous direct contact with the passengers during their emergency layover in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia. The ambassador coordinated logistics and diplomacy to expedite boarding onto the relief flight, working closely with regional authorities until all citizens landed safely in Israel.

  • flydubai Passengers Land at Ben Gurion, Recount Drama

    flydubai Passengers Land at Ben Gurion, Recount Drama

    Passengers on Fly Dubai flight FZ1073 landed Wednesday evening at Ben Gurion Airport, hours after a dramatic mid-air attack and emergency landing in Saudi Arabia. Upon their return to Israel, they recounted to our reporter the moments when they realized their lives were in danger—and the struggle that ended with the passengers’ rescue.

    Video: Prime Minister Netanyahu’s X page

    “I choked the attacker,” recounted one of the passengers who actively took part in overpowering the assailant. According to his testimony, the perpetrator “was actively trying to smash the flight instruments and bring the airplane down.” The passenger described the extraordinary hand-to-hand combat between heaven and earth after the attacker stabbed the captain and attempted to sabotage critical avionics systems.

    Other passengers recalled the sheer sensation of helplessness and vertigo inside the cabin during the struggle. “I was sitting next to the window, and the airplane suddenly inverted violently over us,” one flyer recounted. Another struggled to process the traumatic ordeal: “It feels so good to be home. You think you’re in a movie; you just can’t believe this is happening to you.”

    צילום: רשתות חברתיות
    Photo: Prime Minister’s Office

    Alongside the shock, travelers expressed profound gratitude that the incident concluded without mass tragedy. “Thank God it’s over. Sometimes you end up part of a grim statistic,” remarked one passenger shortly after clearing the arrivals gate at Ben Gurion.

    According to Channel 14 correspondent Atay Shalev, reporting from the terminal, multiple passengers headed directly from the jet bridge to the airport synagogue to recite Birkat HaGomel—the traditional Jewish blessing of thanksgiving following deliverance from grave danger—and offer thanks for their miraculous rescue.

  • Saar Speaks with UAE Counterpart After Plane Attack Attempt

    Saar Speaks with UAE Counterpart After Plane Attack Attempt

    After the relief flight landed safely in Israel, Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar held a phone call on Wednesday with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the United Arab Emirates, Sheik Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan. According to a statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson, the dialogue took place in a warm atmosphere, reflecting the ongoing close strategic communication between the two nations.

    Photo: Ministry of Foreign Affairs

    During the conversation, the foreign ministers underscored their mutual determination to continually strengthen bilateral ties between Israel and the United Arab Emirates across all operational and diplomatic levels. The two officials also agreed to expand cooperation to combat extremist elements seeking to disrupt security and destabilize the wider Middle East.

    The Foreign Ministry added that Minister Sa’ar updated his Emirati counterpart on the operational details surrounding the safe return of the Israeli passengers to Ben Gurion Airport. The UAE foreign minister expressed deep satisfaction with the development, noting during the call that he was relieved that all passengers arrived safely at their homes in good health.

  • Doctor on flydubai Jet Recounts Cabin Terror on C14

    Doctor on flydubai Jet Recounts Cabin Terror on C14

    Dr. Shota Musaev, the physician who treated the wounded pilot during the attempted terror attack aboard flydubai Flight FZ1073 en route to Israel, recounted the mid-air horror during an interview with Channel 14 News on Wednesday evening, emphasizing that the passengers’ lightning-fast reaction averted a catastrophic disaster.

    According to Musaev, the ordeal unfolded abruptly when the assailant launched his assault on the flight deck: “It didn’t start quietly inside the cockpit; someone breached the flight deck. The pilot was attacked, and within seconds the aircraft began banking violently in the air. At first, we assumed it was severe air turbulence, but within moments we realized it was a terror attack.”

    Passengers from the Dubai flight of terror at Ben Gurion Airport | Photo: Flash90

    He described how passengers rushed toward the front galley to overpower the assailant: “A guy named Yaniv managed to pull the attacker out of the cockpit. If the attacker had succeeded in locking that cockpit door, we probably wouldn’t be here right now. After that, we started tying him down, while Yaniv stepped inside the cockpit and locked the door from within to prevent any secondary breach.”

    While the attacker was being restrained, Dr. Musaev administered emergency trauma care to the wounded pilot: “He lost a massive amount of blood. He had sustained injuries to his head and arms, and the top priority was arresting the hemorrhaging. He remained conscious throughout the entire ordeal, and I spoke to him continuously while providing treatment.”

    Photo: Shutterstock

    The physician explained that the passengers’ greatest fear during the chaotic confrontation was the presence of hidden accomplices: “We were terrified he wasn’t acting alone. We instructed passengers to spread out across the aisles so that no secondary operative could pull a knife and attack. There was screaming, crying, and children in deep distress, but we worked simultaneously to calm everyone down and reassure them that the attacker was subdued and under control.”

    Musaev noted that the gravity of the situation became unmistakable within seconds: “Within 10 to 15 seconds, everyone realized it was a stabbing attack and that he was attempting to crash or seize the aircraft. The entire entrance to the cockpit was covered in blood, but the other pilot took the controls and flew the aircraft safely.”

    The flight from Dubai | Screenshot

    Concluding the interview, Dr. Musaev noted that while official investigations will determine whether the terrorist acted with external accomplices, the decisive courage shown by ordinary Israeli passengers at 30,000 feet was the definitive factor that prevented an unspeakable

  • El Al Prepares to Resume Dubai Flights After 8-Month Halt

    El Al Prepares to Resume Dubai Flights After 8-Month Halt

    Israeli flag carrier El Al announced Wednesday that it has made comprehensive preparations to resume direct passenger flights between Tel Aviv and Dubai, targeting a relaunch in November. The move marks a major milestone for Israeli travelers, following an eight-month suspension during which Israeli carriers were barred from operating the corridor. The initiative comes as part of the airline’s strategic push to restore international network routes and re-establish regular air links to the central hub in the United Arab Emirates.

    Photo by Yossi Aloni/Flash90

    Operations along the Tel Aviv–Dubai corridor were completely shut down following the launch of Operation “Lion’s Roar,” during which Israeli aviation regulators placed a comprehensive prohibition on domestic airlines operating commercial flights along the route. Since the operation began and regional civil aviation restrictions took effect, Israeli carriers were forced to freeze all services to the destination. Now, after eight months of enforced inactivity, El Al is moving aggressively to restore full, routine scheduled service.

    According to El Al’s corporate communications department, flights on the Dubai route are planned to operate at a high frequency of at least two daily rotations. The carrier emphasized that service resumption and the final rollout of flights remain contingent on securing all required regulatory authorizations from relevant state authorities. Once the mandatory approvals are finalized, El Al is slated to publish its official flight schedule and open ticket sales to the general public.