The 17:00 report · 4.10.2026
The investigation into the attempted attack on the flydubai flight to Tel Aviv continues to deepen, with new details emerging on the co-pilot's plans and motives. In Europe and Africa, notable political and military shifts took place, including the victory of the pro-European center in Latvia and the retreat of rebel forces from the capital of Tigray in Ethiopia. Alongside these, the UK Green Party conference is voting on a measure defining Zionism as racism.
Israeli Assessment: flydubai Co-Pilot Likely Acted Alone
Israeli investigators assess that the co-pilot who attempted to hijack the flydubai plane, Hamam al-Hamami, likely acted as a lone wolf, following checks into whether he received assistance from other crew members. According to reports, his plan was to secretly murder the flight's captain, Smeet Matchhar, continue flying the aircraft on its planned route to Tel Aviv, and crash into towers in the city. These findings join earlier reports that the presence of four pilots on board prevented the disaster at the last moment, alongside a political dispute in Israel following a National Security Council document citing failures in safeguarding foreign flights. The assessment of a solo operation focuses intelligence efforts on his personal radicalization, ruling out organized external coordination.
Reports: flydubai Pilot Planned to Crash into Tel Aviv Skyscraper
Alongside intelligence assessments, testimonies and investigations have revealed the moments of horror inside the flydubai cockpit: the co-pilot, an Omani citizen who previously held an Australian student visa, shut down both engines and began praying before striking the captain on the head. This adds to previously reported evidence regarding his extreme ideology, which included social media posts endorsing violence, religious punishments, the murder of Jews, and references to Al-Qaeda and El Al planes. In addition, flight crew manifests had been submitted in advance to the National Center for Passenger Data Analysis, which is now being scrutinized over whether warning signs were missed. The concrete actions taken in the cockpit underscore the scale of the catastrophe averted and the challenges of detecting insider threats.
Latvian PM's Pro-European Party Secures Decisive Election Victory
The centrist United List party, led by Latvian Prime Minister Andris Kulbergs, achieved a decisive victory in the parliamentary elections, securing approximately 35.5% of the vote and positioning him to continue heading the government. Kulbergs took office in May following the collapse of the previous coalition amid drone incursions into Latvian airspace. The election results reinforce the Baltic state's staunch pro-European posture and firm support for Ukraine, coming ahead of the populist Latvia First party at 13.3% and the pro-Russian Sovereign Power party at 11.6%. This outcome provides political stability along NATO and the European Union's eastern flank amid persistent regional security tensions.
Ethiopian Rebel Forces Withdraw from Tigray Regional Capital
Rebel forces in northern Ethiopia's Tigray region have retreated from the regional capital, Mekelle, without an official explanation regarding their destination or motives. The withdrawal comes a day after forces loyal to the federal government, including the Tigray Peace Forces militia, recaptured the Alula Aba Nega airport in the city and moved to clear the urban area. These developments follow the resumption of the civil war last week and the advance of troops loyal to Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, with reports indicating abandoned posts and the looting of government facilities. The loss of their primary urban stronghold represents a major shift in the conflict, placing territorial initiative firmly back in the hands of the central government.
UK Green Party Faces Internal Turmoil Over Vote Defining Zionism as Racism
At the UK Green Party conference in Brighton, delegates are voting on a controversial motion to formally define Zionism as racism and call for a single democratic Palestinian state across all of historic Palestine. The measure has sparked intense internal strife within the party, with its leader, Zack Polanski, a Jewish self-described anti-Zionist, expected to abstain; Polanski also refused to affirm Israel's right to exist, arguing that only human beings have a right to exist. The vote highlights deepening ideological divides within the British left over the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and could directly affect the party's broader standing and relationships across the British political and communal landscape.
Written automatically from the Tevel reports linked in it.