WorldPosted at: Sep 30 2026 9:11PM


Israeli National Security Minister Ben Gvir calls to intensify operations in the region post flydubai incident

Jerusalem, Sep 30 (UNI) Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir on Wednesday called for an escalation of Israel’s military campaigns across the region after a flydubai flight bound for Tel Aviv was diverted to Saudi Arabia following a serious incident in the cockpit.
“Thank God and the heroic passengers, but Israel’s security doctrine must be taken to the next level,” Ben Gvir said, and called for Israel to continue its campaigns until what he described as “total victory” in Iran, Lebanon, Gaza and the West Bank, which he referred to by its biblical name, Judea and Samaria.
The circumstances of the incident remain under investigation. Flydubai Flight FZ1073, travelling from Dubai to Tel Aviv with about 180 passengers, was diverted to Saudi Arabia after an altercation involving the two pilots.
According to Israeli media, one pilot allegedly attacked the other and that passengers and other crew members intervened after the aircraft issued a hijacking signal. The plane landed safely in Tabuk, with all passengers reported safe.
Israeli officials have described the incident as an attempted terror attack, though as per other early accounts, the circumstances and motive of the incident remain unclear.
The co-pilot, reportedly an Omani national, was accused of attempting to take control of the aircraft after attacking the pilot. Saudi authorities arrested the man and opened an investigation.
Ben Gvir said the episode demonstrated that Jerusalem could not afford to soften its approach towards its enemies, and needed constant vigilance to deter it.
“The naive belief that our enemies cherish life and should be shown mercy received another reminder this morning,” he said. “Terrorism is an evil with which no agreement should be reached other than defeating it and wiping it off the face of the earth.”
Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich similarly called for those responsible to be held accountable, saying that anyone who attempted to bring down the aircraft and kill its passengers “should pay as though they had murdered them”, as should any country or organisation that had sent them.
Opposition Blue and White chairman Benny Gantz took a more cautious position, saying it was “still too early to know the sequence of events” aboard the aircraft. He praised the passengers for their “resourcefulness and courage” in responding to the incident.
The flight briefly transmitted the international 7500 code used to signal unlawful interference before diverting to Saudi Arabia. Israeli fighter jets were also scrambled after the emergency signal was detected, according to reports.
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