Suspected Hijacking of Dubai-to-Israel Flight; Fighter Jets Scrambled

The Israeli Air Force is investigating the suspected hijacking of a flight from the UAE carrying Israeli passengers, after the plane transmitted an emergency code and reversed course.

Israeli defense authorities and the Israeli Air Force are examining the suspected hijacking of a passenger flight en route from the United Arab Emirates to Israel, news outlets Maariv and Srugim reported. Following the alert, the Israeli Air Force scrambled fighter jets.

According to the reports, the aircraft transmitted an emergency distress code before communication was lost. Srugim reported that the plane reversed course over Jordanian airspace and entered the airspace of Saudi Arabia.

The reports diverged on the number of Israeli passengers aboard: Maariv reported approximately 150 Israelis were on the aircraft, while Srugim reported around 100. Further details regarding the incident have not yet been released.