Israir has confirmed that a dedicated flight carrying passengers’ luggage landed in Israel overnight on 2–3 October, following its Dubai repatriation service carrying around 180 travellers. Both aircraft completed their journeys, the airline said in a statement quoted by Ynet.
This confirms a completed baggage transfer. A clarification to our earlier update: Israel’s Defence Ministry had ordered additional cargo flights; their departure had not yet been confirmed at the time. Israir said further repatriation services would follow in the coming days.
Captain Smit Machchhar has publicly described the attack in greater detail during a telephone conversation with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. He said the co-pilot asked to pray—something he considered routine—and struck him from behind about four or five minutes later. Machchhar initially thought the aircraft had suffered catastrophic damage before realising that he was being attacked.
Despite his injuries, Machchhar said he forced his way to the cockpit door and opened it, allowing people outside to intervene: “I gave everything that I had.” The account was released in a video by the Israeli prime minister’s office; it is the captain’s testimony rather than a concluded investigative finding. Netanyahu invited Machchhar and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to participate in Israel’s next Independence Day torch ceremony, although the formal selection process remains separate.
Source: Channels Television
Australian authorities have opened a new investigation into the alleged FZ1073 attacker’s previous links to the country. The Australian Federal Police confirmed on 4 October that the Victorian Joint Counter Terrorism Team—comprising federal police, Victoria Police and the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation—is examining the man’s connections to Australia.
Media reports identify him as Omani national Hamam al-Hammami and say he studied in Australia between 2015 and 2017. The UAE authorities have not publicly confirmed his identity, while the Australian inquiry has not yet reported any findings or evidence of wider involvement.
The UAE-led investigation into the attempted seizure of flight FZ1073 remains ongoing. Flydubai said it could not comment further while the circumstances were under investigation; its Dubai–Tel Aviv services remain suspended until further notice.
Source: The Guardian
The United Arab Emirates provided Israeli authorities with advance passenger and crew information for flight FZ1073—including names and nationalities—and Israel raised no warning about anyone listed, regional officials told the Associated Press. The officials spoke anonymously, and neither government has formally confirmed this account.
The report is significant because the alleged attacker was an Omani national, while Israel says agreements with foreign airlines normally prevent citizens of countries without diplomatic relations with Israel from operating flights there.
Responsibility for screening is now disputed. Israel’s Shin Bet said the Transport Ministry handles vetting of foreign-flight lists, while Transport Minister Miri Regev said her ministry received neither a passenger list nor any warning. The UAE-led investigation has not yet explained how the co-pilot was rostered or whether prior security information was available to flydubai or Israeli authorities.
Source: apnews.com
Israel’s Transport Ministry said on 4 October that flydubai had confirmed in writing that it had implemented nationality restrictions for Israel-bound crews in its assignment system and committed to the required background checks. This is the ministry’s account; investigators have not established whether those safeguards were correctly applied to FZ1073.
The ministry said it did not receive the flight’s crew list. Separately, Israel’s Tax Authority confirmed to Haaretz that it received the list from flydubai, according to The Times of Israel. This adds an attributed official confirmation to earlier anonymous reporting about advance information reaching Israel, while leaving its handling and subsequent security checks unresolved.
Source: The Times of Israel
This post was published on 4 October 2026 10:47
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