Tel Aviv. Israel’s preliminary investigation has revealed that the alleged attempt to hijack a flydubai plane was probably a ‘lone-wolf’ attack.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was told by the plane’s passengers and flight captain that when the flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv was approaching Israel on Wednesday, the co-pilot allegedly stabbed the flight captain and tried to crash the plane.
According to reports by CBS News and Fox News, the captain fought with the co-pilot and opened the cockpit door. After this, Israeli passengers and Flydubai staff members caught the co-pilot.
Two off-duty pilots present in the flight took control of the plane and made an emergency landing in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia.
The co-pilot is currently in the United Arab Emirates (UEA). Israeli officials are interrogating him there. Earlier, Saudi officials also interrogated him.
Israel has sent its representatives to UAE to join the investigation. US President Donald Trump said on Thursday that “based on what I’ve heard”, the co-pilot may have ties to Iran.
“We’re working on it right now. They’ve been very open with us. I would say based on what I’ve heard, the answer is ‘yes,'” Trump said.
Earlier on Wednesday, Netanyahu said that the purpose of the co-pilot is not yet known. Netanyahu said Thursday that Israel knew the co-pilot was influenced by Islamic fundamentalist ideology.
He said the attacker was “suicidal” and when other crew members and passengers overpowered him, he shouted: “Kill me, kill me!” The identity of the flight’s co-pilot has not yet been made public, although several sources close to the investigation said on Friday that his name is Hamam al-Hamami.
According to sources, al-Hamami worked for Oman Air for some time. Here he started training as a new pilot. Sources said that during the surveillance of Oman government, it was found that he used to visit radical websites.
After this Oman Air attached him to its office. After this Al-Hamami resigned. He left the airline around 2024.
Sources said that some time ago Al-Hamami had posted a video of El Al Israeli Airlines planes in Dubai. At the end of it was a picture of Ayman al-Zawahiri, the main leader of al-Qaeda.
Zawahiri was killed in a US drone strike in 2022. It is said that Al-Hamami was hired by flydubai without due diligence from the Oman government.
Sources said that al-Hamami is a citizen of Oman, but he was not born in Oman. He spent most of his life outside Oman.
His mother is Syrian and father is a citizen of Oman. The Government of Oman has not publicly confirmed his citizenship. Sources say that he may have dual citizenship.
What would a ‘lone-wolf’ attack be?
Such attacks are called violent or terrorist acts. Such an act is carried out by a single person without direct support, financial help or command structure from any terrorist organization.
‘Lone Wolf’ literally means ‘lonely wolf’. It is believed that just as a wolf separates from its pack and hunts alone, similarly this attacker also prepares the entire plan and attack alone.
Although such attackers are not in direct contact with any organization, they are definitely influenced or inspired by the radical ideology and propaganda of a major extremist group (ISIS or white supremacist organization) present on the Internet, social media or dark web.
Such people prepare plans alone. Choose the place of attack. He collects weapons himself and executes the plan alone.