Netanyahu and Modi praise Indian pilot after foiling suspected attempt to down flydubai plane

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi praised Indian pilot Sumit Sabarwal, who is believed to have been stabbed by his co-pilot during a flydubai flight from the United Arab Emirates to Tel Aviv on Wednesday.

The two leaders described the pilot as having saved the lives of 174 people on board, highlighting the role he played in containing the situation and preventing it from escalating further.

Details of the incident remain unclear

Netanyahu spoke of an attempt by the co-pilot to bring down the aircraft, though no fully independent account confirming this scenario has yet been made available.

For its part, the airline operating the flight said the cause of the incident remained unknown and warned against "premature speculation" about what took place on board.

The findings of an independent investigation into the circumstances of the incident have not yet been announced, as public opinion in both countries follows developments closely, given the case's implications for aviation safety and bilateral relations between Israel and India.