Defense Minister Katz says "the terrorist had one intention: to crash the aircraft with all its passengers"
Israel KatzMinister of Defense of Israel, in a statement issued through his office
In a statement issued on September 30, 2026, and published in English translation by Ynet, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said the incident aboard flydubai flight FZ1073 was "an attempted jihadist terrorist attack" that was thwarted "only thanks to the heroism of several Israeli passengers" who broke into the cockpit, overpowered the man he called "the terrorist" and returned control of the aircraft to another flight crew. He said that, according to the initial information in Israel's possession, "the terrorist had one intention: to crash the aircraft with all its passengers." In remarks Ynet reported as part of the same day's statements, he also said that when he and the prime minister issue security warnings based on intelligence, both enemies abroad and former officials at home whom he called uninformed would do well to listen.
Responding to
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said on September 30, 2026 that the incident aboard flydubai flight FZ1073 was "an attempted jihadist terrorist attack" and that, according to the initial information in Israel's possession, "the terrorist had one intention: to crash the aircraft with all its passengers."
“The serious incident on the Flydubai aircraft was an attempted jihadist terrorist attack that was thwarted only thanks to the heroism of several Israeli passengers who broke into the cockpit, overpowered the terrorist and with their own hands returned control of the aircraft to an additional flight crew that was present there ... According to the initial information in our possession, the terrorist had one intention: to crash the aircraft with all its passengers.”
Reporting
Original post
Reporting
Where this statement fits
Did a flydubai pilot try to crash Israel-bound flight FZ1073?
On September 30, 2026, flydubai flight FZ1073, a Boeing 737 MAX 8 flying from Dubai to Tel Aviv, dropped sharply in altitude en route, transmitted emergency transponder codes and landed at Tabuk, Saudi Arabia. flydubai said an altercation occurred in the flight deck, and the Tabuk airport said both pilots were taken to hospital. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said one pilot stabbed the other and "apparently tried to crash the plane with everyone on board," and Defense Minister Israel Katz called the incident "an attempted jihadist terrorist attack." flydubai said the reasons and motives were unknown and subject to a formal investigation. The UAE General Civil Aviation Authority and Saudi Arabia's National Transport Safety Center opened investigations. As of September 30, 2026, no investigating authority had reported findings, and we did not locate a public report that anyone had been charged. The disputed claim is whether a pilot deliberately tried to crash the aircraft.
Source and context
Reporting
About this source
Ynet's English translation of Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz's Hebrew statement, including his later remarks on security warnings. Other outlets translate the same statement with slightly different wording.
Archived copy (opens in a new tab)Original post
About this source
The earliest post we located that relays Katz's statement, in a correspondent's English rendering. It gives 'objective' where Ynet gives 'intention'.
Reporting
About this source
NBC News report, first published 4:56 a.m. EDT and updated through the day. It gives no time for Spielman's remark. The classification of the incident in the paragraph is NBC's paraphrase, and only the quoted fragments are Spielman's words. The linked archive copy was captured at 13:53 UTC, before the paragraphs cited here were added.
Archived copy (opens in a new tab)Before the quotation
Katz's statement was circulating in English by 13:40 UTC, before Netanyahu's video and after flydubai's second statement, which an archive copy of the airline's newsroom page shows by 13:21 UTC. NBC News reported that he did not say how he reached his conclusion. English translations of his Hebrew statement differ: Ynet renders the last clause as "to crash the aircraft with all its passengers," and an i24NEWS correspondent's earlier post renders it as "to crash the aircraft with all of its passengers onboard."
After the quotation
Katz said every warning "has several addresses and purposes" and that warnings "never come at the expense of the proactive and offensive activity" of Israeli forces. Ynet reported that he did not say whether the warnings he and Netanyahu had issued included specific information about an aviation threat or about FZ1073. Opposition leader Yair Lapid wrote that the security briefing he received on September 29 contained nothing resembling the incident.
How this statement is classified
The label describes this statement's response within the context above.
Why this label?
The case asks whether a pilot deliberately tried to crash FZ1073. Katz said the incident was "an attempted jihadist terrorist attack" and that the intention was to crash the aircraft with all its passengers, which asserts the proposition. He framed it as based on "initial information" and did not describe the evidence. We labeled it Condemned. His "terrorist" and "jihadist" characterizations are a separate question this case does not decide. We record them only because they come with his statement about the intention to crash the aircraft.
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General Civil Aviation Authority of the United Arab Emirates
“a security incident involving flydubai flight FZ1073 from Dubai to Tel Aviv has been brought under control ... its investigation teams, in coordination with the relevant authorities, are working to establish the cause and circumstances of the incident, including a review of operational and security aspects.”Read statement
Cite this record
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- The Dispute Index
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- Defense Minister Katz says "the terrorist had one intention: to crash the aircraft with all its passengers"
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- https://disputeindex.com/events/3854-in-a-statement-issued-on-september-30-2026
Last updated marks the most recent saved version of this published statement.
The Dispute Index. "Defense Minister Katz says "the terrorist had one intention: to crash the aircraft with all its passengers"". First published: 2026-09-30. Last updated: 2026-09-30. https://disputeindex.com/events/3854-in-a-statement-issued-on-september-30-2026