Israel recognizes flydubai FZ1073 passengers as victims of hostile acts

Israel's Defense Ministry has formally classified the attack aboard flydubai flight FZ1073 as a hostile incident, making the Israeli passengers on board eligible for state recognition as victims of hostile acts. Ynet reported that the decision came roughly a month and a half after the attempt to bring the plane down on its way to Israel.

According to The Times of Israel, the ministry said its approving authority acted after receiving official confirmation from the state's authorized investigative bodies, and that the ruling has been passed on to the National Insurance Institute. Haaretz reported that the recognition treats the episode as a terror act and makes the passengers eligible for financial support.

What happened on flight FZ1073

The flight was travelling from Dubai to Tel Aviv on September 30. As The Times of Israel described it, the copilot, an Omani national named Hamam al-Hammami, assaulted the captain, Smit Machchhar, and tried to crash the aircraft. The plane dropped thousands of feet. Machchhar managed to open the cockpit door, and several Israeli passengers forced their way inside, restrained the copilot and brought the aircraft under initial control.

A photograph published by The Times of Israel shows passengers from the flight with their relatives on September 30 at Israel's main international airport, Ben Gurion, outside Tel Aviv. According to the caption, they had reached Israel aboard a different flydubai aircraft.

The reports characterize the event in slightly different terms. Haaretz and The Jerusalem Post describe it as an attempted hijacking. The Times of Israel calls it an attempted terror attack in which the copilot sought to crash the plane, and the ministry's own wording refers to an attempted attack.

What "hostile acts" recognition means

The Hebrew term used in the Israeli reports, peulot eiva, translates as "hostile acts" or "hostile actions". It is the official category Israel uses for people harmed in attacks carried out by enemies of the state, including terrorism. A ruling that an incident falls into this category is made by the Defense Ministry, and it is what opens the door to state benefits for those affected.

The benefits themselves are handled by the National Insurance Institute, known in Hebrew as Bituach Leumi, which is Israel's social security agency. In its statement quoted by Ynet, the institute said that passengers who suffered physical or psychological harm can now file a claim to have a disability percentage determined. In the Israeli system, that percentage is the basis for assessing what support a recognized victim receives.

The inclusion of psychological harm is significant for this case. Most passengers on the flight were not physically involved in the struggle in the cockpit, but all of them experienced the sudden descent. The institute's wording indicates that claims are not limited to those who were physically injured.

Who is covered

The Times of Israel specified that the recognition applies to the Israeli passengers who were aboard the flight. None of the reports address the status of non-Israeli passengers or of the crew, including the captain, who was attacked.

Why the case drew attention

The episode involved an airline based in the United Arab Emirates and a copilot from Oman, on a route linking Dubai with Tel Aviv. A caption accompanying The Jerusalem Post's report notes that the attack has prompted questions about whether the copilot acted alone or as part of a wider terrorist network targeting Israel. The reports reviewed here do not answer that question.

What the reports do not say

• None of the reports state how many passengers are covered by the decision or how many have filed claims.
• The ministry cites confirmation from Israel's investigative bodies but does not name them or publish their findings, including on the copilot's motive or any links to others.
• No response from flydubai, the Emirati authorities or Oman to the decision has been reported.
• The reports do not specify what level of financial support recognized passengers can expect.