The Israeli security establishment has revised its assessment of the Flydubai terror incident, according to an i24 News correspondent. Authorities now believe Omani co-pilot Hamam al-Hammami acted alone and was not part of a larger operation.
i24 News reported Sunday evening that the Israeli security establishment has revised its assessment of the Flydubai terror incident, now concluding that Omani co-pilot Hamam al-Hammami acted alone and was not part of a larger operation, according to the news channel's correspondent.
The latest report aligns with the direction taken by the Israeli investigation throughout the day. At 14:41 Jerusalem, The Zioneer reported that Israeli investigators who traveled to Dubai assessed the co-pilot acted alone as a 'lone attacker,' citing a CBS report. By 15:09, an initial Israeli investigation suggested the same, as reported by The Times of Israel. At 15:41, The Zioneer detailed findings from the investigation, including that al-Hammami shut off both engines, disengaged the autopilot, and aimed for a Tel Aviv skyscraper, according to a report by Corriere Della Sera. At 16:30, The New York Times reported, citing unnamed sources, that the pilot acted alone and had no connection to Iran. The i24 report, attributed to an unidentified security official, confirms that the Israeli establishment has reached the same conclusion.
As The Zioneer reported on Sunday in its Eye on Zion briefing, al-Hammami attempted to kill the captain with an emergency axe before disabling the engines and autopilot, intending to crash the aircraft into a downtown Tel Aviv skyscraper. The investigation earlier revealed that Flydubai hired al-Hammami without a proper background check despite extremist red flags, as The Zioneer reported on October 3.
What remains unresolved is the precise motive and whether any external actor played a role in radicalizing al-Hammami. The investigation continues as a multi-national effort involving Israel, the UAE, and the United States.
6 developments
- Strongi24News: Flydubai workers say airline hired Omani pilot without background check despite red flags from Oman Air
- DevelopingBen-Gvir: Israel Should Seek Extradition of Flydubai Co-Pilot
- ConfirmedFlydubai co-pilot reportedly targeted Tel Aviv-bound flights months before attack, sought airlines flying to Israel
- ConfirmedIsraeli source: co-pilot acted as lone wolf, working assumption unchanged
Source and signal
- Open-source intake