Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir has said he will ask the country’s security cabinet to support efforts to extradite a Flydubai copilot accused of attempting to crash a flight carrying Israeli passengers to Tel Aviv.
According to The Times of Israel on Thursday, October 1, 2026, Ben Gvir intends to urge the Justice Ministry and relevant diplomatic officials to use all available means to secure the suspect’s transfer to Israel for prosecution.
The alleged incident involved a flight carrying about 170 Israelis, which was reportedly diverted to Saudi Arabia, where authorities are currently holding the suspect.
The accused, who is originally from Oman, could present diplomatic challenges for Israel because neither Saudi Arabia nor Oman maintains diplomatic relations with the country.
Saudi authorities are expected to conclude their initial investigation before deciding on the next steps regarding his custody.
The suspect is reportedly expected to be transferred to the United Arab Emirates afterward. Although Israel maintains diplomatic relations with the UAE, both countries lack a bilateral extradition treaty, potentially complicating any Israeli request for his transfer.
Reacting to the case, Ben Gvir insisted that the suspect should face prosecution in Israel and warned that Israeli authorities would pursue anyone accused of targeting its citizens.
Ben Gvir said, “Someone who planned to crash a plane and murder 180 Israelis should be extradited to Israel and pay the heaviest price here. Anyone who tries to murder or harm Israelis will be pursued by the State of Israel and held to account anywhere in the world.”