Netanyahu Vows 'Heavy Price' for Those Behind Flydubai Pilot Incident

TEL AVIV, October 2. /TASS/. Israel is investigating who may be behind the actions of the Flydubai pilot who attempted to crash the plane, in order to make them pay a "very heavy price," Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated.

"The attacker underwent Islamist radicalization. He came to crash the plane with its passengers on board. We are now investigating whether he was sent, and whoever sent him will pay a very heavy price," Netanyahu said in a video address released by his office.

The prime minister noted that "as time goes on, the picture [of what happened] is becoming clearer."

Earlier, Anwar Gargash, a diplomatic advisor to the UAE president, described the incident involving the Flydubai flight that made an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia as a terrorist act.

On September 30, a Flydubai flight en route from Dubai to Tel Aviv made an emergency landing at the Tabuk airport in Saudi Arabia due to a security incident. The Saudi Arabian Interior Ministry confirmed on October 1 that the incident was caused by an attack on the captain by the co-pilot, resulting in injuries to both. The ministry specified that, once they had recovered, both pilots flew to Abu Dhabi with Emirati security forces. The remaining six crew members had already returned safely to Dubai. UAE authorities are continuing their investigation into the incident, including a review of security measures.

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz had previously characterized the incident as an attempted terrorist attack.