Netanyahu's office: The change of course of the "Fly Dubai" plane towards Saudi Arabia is not believed to be the result of a hijacking

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said on Wednesday that the change in the course of a Flydubai plane, which was heading from the UAE to Israel towards Saudi Arabia, is not believed to be the result of a hijacking.

Three Israeli security officials had told Reuters that Netanyahu was conducting consultations regarding the plane that changed its course during its trip to Israel.

Reuters quoted an Israeli source as saying that the plane is expected to land in Saudi Arabia soon, adding that the picture will become clearer after it lands.

This coincided with the pilot changing the course of the plane, which entered Jordanian airspace and then changed its course towards Saudi Arabia, according to a BBC Arabic correspondent in Jerusalem.

Meanwhile, the Israeli Chief of Staff conducted “an assessment of the situation with the participation of the Air Force Commander, the Chief of Operations, the Chief of the Intelligence Authority, and other leaders,” according to Israeli army spokeswoman Ella Wawiyeh, without providing further details.

Israeli media reported that the plane, carrying more than 150 people, sent a distress signal before changing its course over Saudi Arabia, prompting the Israeli Air Force to send two fighters towards it.

According to flight tracking data reported by The Times of Israel, the plane initially sent code 7700, which indicates a general emergency, before later sending code 7500, used to indicate the hijacking of an aircraft or illegal interference in its operation.

Earlier, Yedioth Ahronoth quoted an Israeli security source as saying that there was no confirmed information about the plane being hijacked, indicating that its pilot activated a distress signal.

The reasons for declaring a state of emergency or changing the plane’s course are not yet clear, pending its landing in Saudi Arabia and the emergence of more information regarding the incident.