Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich called for harsh punishment of all those involved in the emergency incident on FlyDubai's Dubai-Tel Aviv flight, infohub.kz reports.
The finance minister stated his position on his official X account.
"The State of Israel must act based on intent, not results. Anyone who tried to crash a plane and kill 180 Israelis must be punished as if they had committed murder—both the perpetrator and any state or terrorist organization that sent him. It is our duty to pursue our enemies and destroy them until they are completely eliminated," the finance minister wrote.
Earlier, media reports emerged that a Boeing 737 passenger plane had sent an emergency signal while turning over Saudi Arabia. The aircraft transmitted code 7500, which indicates hijacking or unlawful interference.
Israeli Air Force fighter jets were scrambled toward the plane. It was later reported that the airliner had landed in Saudi Arabia.
Flydubai then told Israeli television that a fight had broken out between the pilots on board the Dubai-Tel Aviv flight. Soon after, the first photos and videos from the plane appeared. The image shows a passenger who is believed to have struggled with the attacker.
Authorities are investigating the possibility that one of the pilots may have deliberately tried to crash the plane. It is believed that the co-pilot and Israeli passengers intervened, fighting him and preventing a disaster.
Another version regarding the citizenship of the FlyDubai pilots was also reported. After claims of Russian and Ukrainian citizenship, information emerged that the pilots hold Omani and Emirati citizenship.
Later, reports appeared that one of the pilots may have died from stab wounds following the attack.