Transcript [00:00] An Israelibbound plane began dropping [00:03] after the captain was stabbed inside a [00:06] cockpit. Before it landed, passengers [00:09] had forced their way toward the cockpit [00:12] to stop the men accused of attacking [00:15] him. Shalom from Israel. I am Kan Nafali [00:18] with the latest update from the Middle [00:20] East. [00:24] [music] [00:37] >> [music] [00:38] >> This happened today on Fly Dubai flight [00:41] FZ 1073 which left Dubai for Tel Aviv. [00:45] It was a normal commercial flight on a [00:47] route that Israelis use regularly. There [00:50] are about 10 of these flights per day. [00:53] So [music] people were expecting to land [00:55] at Bengory airport and just go home. [00:58] Instead, they landed in Tabuk, Saudi [01:00] Arabia after an emergency that [music] [01:03] is now being investigated by Israel, [01:05] Saudi Arabia, and the UAE. This was a [01:09] flight that put [music] the entire [01:11] Middle East on its feet. [01:14] The first signs of trouble came from [01:17] inside the plane. [music] Sevika Manis [01:20] was on board with his family, an Israeli [01:23] passenger. His daughter had gone to the [01:25] bathroom. His [music] wife was standing [01:27] near the cockpit near the bathroom when [01:29] she heard shouting and screaming. She [01:33] realized that something was wrong and [01:34] called a relief pilot [music] who was on [01:37] the flight telling him to get inside the [01:39] cockpit. Around that time, the aircraft [01:42] began a steep descent. The flight sent a [01:45] general emergency code followed by code [01:48] 750 [01:50] which is used when someone may be [01:53] interfering with the control of the [01:54] aircraft. That can mean a possible [01:57] hijacking or another serious threat [02:00] inside the plane. So for the people [02:03] sitting in the cabin they did not know [02:06] the technical meaning of those codes. [02:07] They felt the plane drop, heard [02:10] shouting, heard screaming, and they [02:13] understood that something had gone [02:16] terribly wrong. One of the passengers [02:18] said that people heard screaming [02:21] throughout the plane while the aircraft [02:23] was diving. Uh she said that several [02:26] young men went into the into the [02:28] cockpit, helped restrain the attacker, [02:31] and then began helping the injured pilot [02:33] and the other passengers. Miriam Abu [02:36] Casiz was also seated close to the [02:39] cockpit. Her mother said Miriam heard [02:42] screaming, saw blood everywhere. Her [02:45] brother later said that the passengers [02:46] felt as though they were staring death [02:49] in the face. Um I also heard a a [02:52] testimony that somebody said they did [02:54] not pray to come out alive. They uh [02:57] someone prayed that the kids will not [02:59] suffer in the process of it. This is how [03:03] dramatic and um crazy situation that all [03:08] of these passengers were experiencing. [03:11] Um the family of uh one of the [03:14] passengers had just lost a brother on [03:16] October 7th. So this incident brought [03:19] back memories that honestly no family [03:22] should have to relive. And while all of [03:25] this was happening inside the aircraft, [03:28] Israel saw an Israelbound civilian [03:31] flight change course and send emergency [03:34] signals. Fighter jets were scrambled. [03:38] Emergency teams prepared at Bengurion [03:40] airport. Netanyao and defense minister [03:42] Katz received urgent security briefings. [03:46] We in Israel actually had no idea what [03:48] is what is going on. I remember seeing [03:50] these notifications and then later they [03:54] said that perhaps there was a fight an [03:56] argument inside the cockpit but the [03:59] plane is appearing again in in the [04:01] radar. So we had no idea what is going [04:04] on. Um but at that stage actually nobody [04:08] knew whether this was a hijacking, a [04:10] terror attack, a suicide attempt or just [04:13] a violent fight between pilots. Israel [04:16] had to prepare for every case scenario. [04:19] So, Flight Dubai actually later [04:21] confirmed that there had been an [04:23] altercation in the in a flight deck. [04:26] Saudi airport authorities said that both [04:28] pilots were injured and taken to [04:30] hospital. The captain was Smid Machar, [04:35] an Indian pilot with years of commercial [04:38] flying experience. Before joining Fly [04:40] Dubai, he worked for the Indian airline [04:43] SpiceJet. Machar was stabbed by his [04:48] Omani co-pilot but managed to alert [04:51] people on board before others got into [04:53] the cockpit. His actions, the actions of [04:57] this Indian captain gave the passengers [05:00] on that plane a chance to survive. Video [05:04] from the cabin shows passengers [05:06] gathering around Captain Machar after [05:08] the attack, protecting him and giving [05:10] him medical care. He was injured and [05:13] people stood close to him while others [05:15] guarded the cockpit door. One of the [05:17] passengers is heard telling him, "You [05:19] saved the plane." It was also reported [05:22] that the wounded captain managed to [05:25] unlock the cockpit door and allow which [05:29] allowed the passengers to take control [05:30] of the situation. [05:32] But you have to hear this story. One of [05:35] the Israeli passengers, Sevika, went [05:37] into the cockpit himself to restrain the [05:40] attacker. He said he choked him and [05:41] dragged him out of the cockpit. He saw [05:44] the co-pilot appearing to break the [05:47] cockpit buttons and the system, the the [05:50] one that attacked and stabbed the [05:51] captain. And after he pulled him out of [05:53] the cockpit and people cuffed the Omani [05:56] attacker, the co-pilot, Svika went into [05:59] the cockpit and according to him, he [06:01] pulled the control towards him so that [06:03] the plane will climb back up or at least [06:06] stabilize. And by miracle, there were [06:09] two British pilots on board and they [06:11] went into the cockpit and managed to [06:13] emergency land the aircraft in Saudi [06:15] Arabia. You can see in the photos that [06:17] the aircraft's rider broke because of [06:19] the speed of the aircraft as it was [06:21] descending when one of the passengers [06:24] pulled the control to avert the crash. [06:27] These are the details that make this [06:29] story so hard to process because these [06:32] were ordinary passengers on a flight [06:34] home and within minutes, 90 minutes uh [06:38] actually into the uh the flight, they [06:40] were trying to protect an injured [06:42] captain, secure a cockpit and keep an [06:46] aircraft full of people in the air. And [06:48] you know, I saw many people commenting [06:49] and saying, "The next time I fly, I want [06:51] my flight to be full of Israeli [06:53] passengers because they will for sure [06:55] know how to behave and how to take [06:57] control of an emergency situation." [07:00] Because when you fly on a flight full of [07:03] Israelis, many of them have that so [07:07] important and crucial military [07:10] background. though they know how to put [07:13] their emotions and and dramatic feelings [07:16] aside and to just laser focus on saving [07:20] the lives of the passengers and and [07:22] their lives. So the full investigation [07:25] of course is not finished and Fly Dubai [07:27] has not given a motive. The airline says [07:30] that the reasons behind the incident [07:32] remain under formal investigation. So [07:35] still the danger is clear. A passenger [07:38] plane carrying Israelis was heading [07:41] toward Tel Aviv when violence broke out [07:44] in the cockpit. The plane began to fall. [07:47] A captain was wounded. The aircraft had [07:50] to divert. That is actually why people [07:54] are asking whether Israel escaped a 911 [07:57] style disaster. Nobody has shown that [08:00] there were or was a specific building or [08:04] place in Israel chosen as a target. [08:06] Nobody knows yet whether the plan was to [08:08] crash the plane in Israel or force it to [08:11] land somewhere or take hostages. Israeli [08:13] investigators are examining all those [08:15] possibilities. [08:17] But a civilian aircraft can become a [08:20] weapon if the person controlling it [08:22] wants to use it that way. That is what [08:25] makes it so dangerous. and this in [08:28] incident uh I hope that it raises a lot [08:31] of uh questions that will get answers in [08:36] terms of security. Um but the alleged [08:38] danger did not come from the passenger [08:41] trying to get through an airport [08:42] checkpoint. It came from actually inside [08:45] the cockpit. So that is what makes this [08:49] incident so dangerous. And I wonder [08:51] whether people or the authorities [08:55] actually even thought of this uh [08:57] possibility. The identity of the alleged [09:00] attacker is now one of the main [09:03] questions because Israeli officials say [09:05] the co-pilot was an Omani national. His [09:08] name is not been uh publicly released [09:11] and the Saudi Aradi and Omani [09:14] authorities have not publicly confirmed [09:16] his identity or motive. Oman does not [09:20] have diplomatic relations with Israel, [09:21] mind you. And if the reported [09:24] identification is correct, Israeli [09:26] authorities need to understand how he [09:28] was cleared to fly an aircraft that was [09:30] carrying pe Israeli Jewish people into [09:32] Tel Aviv given the fact that Omanis are [09:34] not even allowed in Israel and vice [09:36] versa. Israelis are not allowed in Oman [09:38] because we don't have relations. So they [09:40] also need to establish how a weapon [09:43] reached the cockpit and whether the [09:45] security procedure for this route were [09:48] followed. [09:49] Shinveet Mosal, the Israeli military and [09:52] the transportation ministry are all [09:54] reported to uh be involved in this [09:57] investigation. Israel needs a full [10:00] account of what happened before the next [10:02] flight leaves Dubai for Tel Aviv. And [10:05] for now, all Fly Dubai flights to Israel [10:07] have been suspended for at least 6 days [10:09] to allow a thorough investigation. The [10:12] Shinbet, which among other things is [10:15] tasked with with passenger plane [10:17] security, has raised before security [10:20] issues and considerations. Um, but like [10:23] I said, I do wonder if they were able to [10:25] prevent something like this from [10:27] happening given that a foreign airline [10:30] chose a foreign pilot who holds a [10:32] passport to a country that does not have [10:34] relations with Israel to fly a plane to [10:36] Israel. So, one thing is certain, I'm [10:40] sure it's not going to happen again. I [10:42] do have to say a good word about Fly [10:44] Dubai because during the wars with Iran [10:47] 2025 and the recent one uh in February, [10:51] they were the first ones to resume [10:52] flights, they were flying in and out of [10:54] Israel whenever it was possible. And [10:57] while other airlines uh were too scared [11:00] to do so and the UAE became a hub from [11:05] which Israelis could fly to and from [11:08] other destinations during the war. So [11:11] that is something that we cannot forget. [11:13] With that being said, the UAE should be [11:15] part of that process, the investigation. [11:17] Fly Dubai sent replacement aircraft to [11:19] return uh the passengers to Israel and [11:23] they say that they are cooperating with [11:25] the investigation. Um, but another [11:28] interesting part is the Saudi part [11:30] because I think this is extraordinary [11:32] because the plane landed in Tabuk, [11:36] which most of you don't know this, but [11:37] it's one of the largest cities in Saudi [11:39] Arabia. About 500,000 people live there. [11:42] And um, it's not so far from the Saudi [11:44] Jordan border. And again, Jordan borders [11:46] with Israel. So, it's not so far from [11:48] Israel. [11:50] If you zoom out the map of Saudi Arabia, [11:52] the big Saudi Arabia and Saudi Arabia [11:56] and Israel do not have formal diplomatic [11:58] relations. Okay, airport workers [12:01] declared an emergency in Saudi Arabia. [12:03] They brought the injured pilots to [12:05] hospital and assisted the passengers, [12:09] the vast majority of them are Israeli [12:11] until flight could send replacement [12:14] flights to bring them back home to [12:17] complete flight 1073 to Tel Aviv. Saudi [12:21] Arabia Arabia reportedly did not allow [12:24] an Israeli aircraft to collect the [12:25] passengers which surprised the Israeli [12:28] authorities because the Israelis wanted [12:30] to send a military plane to carry the [12:32] passengers back to Israel after [12:34] experiencing this horrific um you know [12:39] situation [12:40] but it was not authorized by the Saudis [12:43] but the passengers eventually returned [12:45] on flight by flights uh to Israel. So [12:49] Saudi Arabia has not publicly explained [12:52] that decision but um you can understand [12:55] they Israel and Saudi Arabia do not have [12:58] formal relations. So technically [13:00] speaking the Saudi uh kingdom could risk [13:05] its um I don't know if it's right to say [13:08] public opinion or the the kingdom in [13:12] general by by publicly allowing Israeli [13:15] air force to land in Saudi Arabia. Um [13:18] well of look of course that does not [13:20] mean that Saudi Arabia and Israel are uh [13:22] suddenly at peace or they're not. Um we [13:26] don't have relations. There is no Saudi [13:28] embassy in Israel and no Israeli embassy [13:30] in Riyad. But Saudi air airspace already [13:34] helps make the Dubai to Tel Aviv route [13:36] possible. And when this plane was in [13:39] danger, Saudi Arabia was the nearest [13:42] safe place where Israeli passengers [13:43] could land. So that is one reason peace [13:46] between Israel and Saudi Arabia would [13:48] matter. It would make it easier for [13:50] security agencies and aviation [13:52] authorities to work directly together [13:55] when there is a real threat. It it could [13:57] help the region stop a terror attack [13:59] because before it reaches a plane in an [14:01] airport or a city and President Trump [14:04] has said that uh US Saudi civil nuclear [14:07] agreement depends on Saudi Arabia [14:10] joining the Abraham Accords. So he's [14:12] trying to kind of give them a push [14:14] towards it. I hope it will happen. Look, [14:17] I Israel has said it Saudi part [14:20] participation in the Abraham Accords [14:23] would be a major step forward obviously [14:26] because Saudi Arabia is the largest [14:29] country in the Middle East and Mecca is [14:32] the most important city and site to [14:36] Sunni Islam. So that would be in other [14:40] words it could mean it's uh the Jews [14:44] making officially making peace with [14:46] Muslims. Um but th this could be a major [14:50] step. Of course there is no agreement [14:52] today and Saudi Arabia's public position [14:54] remains far from Israel's but I I think [14:58] that the Saudi ruler understands that [15:01] Israel is not the enemy of Saudi Arabia. [15:03] Of course, he must stay committed um to [15:06] the Palestinian cause because that's [15:08] what most Saudis care about and but I [15:11] believe that he do [clears throat] [15:12] he does know the truth about Israel, [15:14] about Hamas, about the Palestinian [15:16] leadership and so on. He does understand [15:18] that Israel has no choice but to defend [15:22] itself. And that's exactly what Saudi is [15:24] also doing uh when faced with [15:27] Iranianbacked youth attacks. Uh and you [15:31] know also I have to insert here the [15:34] reported reports and rumors about Saudi [15:37] Arabia reaching out to Israel uh in with [15:40] regards to intelligence help with [15:42] preventing youth attacks. Um look the [15:46] people on this flight made it home [15:48] because a wounded Indian captain crew [15:52] members and Israeli passengers acted [15:54] under extreme pressure. They stopped an [15:57] emergency from becoming a disaster. [16:00] Israel should honor them, support [16:02] Captain Machar as he recovers and demand [16:05] the full truth about the co-pilot, the [16:07] weapon and the security failures that [16:10] made this thing possible. Uh so from [16:13] here of course I I want to thank the [16:16] Indian pilot and uh we are praying for [16:20] his quick recovery. We are so very [16:24] grateful that his actions helped prevent [16:28] a disaster. Thank you very much for [16:30] watching. Subscribe to my YouTube [16:31] channel to stay connected to what's [16:33] happening here in the Middle East. I
A flydubai flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv turned into a nightmare when the captain was stabbed inside the cockpit and the plane began a steep dive. Passengers heard screaming and saw blood as the aircraft squawked emergency code 7500.
Israel scrambled fighter jets as Israeli passengers rushed the cockpit, restrained the alleged attacker, a co-pilot reported to be an Omani national, and helped two British pilots on board bring the plane down safely in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia.
In this Middle East update, I break down what happened on flight FZ1073, the heroic Indian captain who saved the plane, the Israeli passenger who pulled the controls to stop the dive, and the big questions Israel's security agencies must now answer. How was this co-pilot cleared to fly Israelis into Tel Aviv? How did a weapon reach the cockpit? Was this a 9/11 style plot? And what does Saudi Arabia's role reveal about the future of Israel Saudi peace and the Abraham Accords?
00:00 The plane that began to fall
00:15 Shalom from Israel
00:38 Flight FZ1073 from Dubai to Tel Aviv
01:14 Screams and blood inside the cabin
03:23 Israel scrambles fighter jets
04:16 The Indian captain who saved the plane
05:32 The Israeli passenger who stormed the cockpit
06:48 Why you want Israelis on your flight
07:23 Was this a 9/11 style plot?
08:59 Who is the Omani co-pilot?
10:12 Security failures and suspended flights
11:27 Why the plane landed in Saudi Arabia
12:21 Saudis refused an Israeli rescue plane
13:37 Why Israel Saudi peace matters now
15:46 Thank you, Captain
