i24NEWS reports that Israeli political and security officials were certain Saudi Arabia would approve an Israeli civilian rescue flight from Saudi territory, but Riyadh refused. El Al and the IDF submitted proposals, including an unmarked plane, but the Saudis said no. The stranded Israelis were eventually brought back by a separate FlyDubai flight. A source close to the Saudi royal family commented: 'Israel needs to understand that you cannot force normalization.'
Following the reported attempted hijacking of a FlyDubai flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv earlier Wednesday (The Zioneer, 14:36), which forced an emergency landing in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, Israeli authorities sought to send a civilian rescue flight to retrieve the stranded passengers. According to i24NEWS, Israeli political and security officials were confident that Saudi Arabia would approve such a flight, with El Al and the Israeli Air Force submitting proposals – including one for an unmarked aircraft. However, Riyadh refused the requests. The Israeli passengers were eventually brought back to Israel on a different FlyDubai flight. A source close to the Saudi royal family told i24NEWS: "Israel needs to understand that you cannot force normalization," reflecting the kingdom's reluctance to take a public step toward normalization amid the ongoing war with Hamas in Gaza. The episode highlights the gap between behind-the-scenes coordination and official diplomatic relations.
3 developments
- DevelopingThe Zioneer publishes analysis: How normalization with Saudi Arabia was missed
- DevelopingSaudi, Jordanian fighter jets scrambled alongside IAF during Flydubai emergency, Israeli media reports
- Strong8-year-old on Flydubai flight says she thought plane would crash during rapid descent
- ConfirmedSaudi Arabia opens aviation safety investigation after Flydubai hijacking attempt
Source and signal
- Open-source intake