A Flydubai plane traveling from Dubai to Tel Aviv caused panic among passengers after briefly transmitting an emergency code signaling a hijacking or forced diversion.
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The signal put Israeli authorities on alert, and Air Force fighter jets were immediately scrambled. After being informed of the incident, a spokesperson for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ruled out a hijacking. However, a local security source said the inability to contact the pilot was considered quite concerning.
The plane later landed without incident at Tabuk airport in Saudi Arabia. According to initial reports by Ynet and the Times of Israel, which cited Israeli security sources, the incident may have been caused by a conflict between the pilots. There were 174 passengers on board, including 150 Israelis; 27 of the passengers were children.
The emergency signal appears to have been sent while the plane was descending and making a turn. After the incident, Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz held an urgent security consultation.
There are no further details yet about why the hijacking alert was sent or the condition of the plane.
