JERUSALEM (VINnews) — New details have emerged from the investigation into the attempted takeover of a Flydubai passenger flight, with reports saying the Omani co-pilot told investigators that he had deliberately joined the airline because it operated flights to Israel and intended to crash the aircraft at Ben Gurion Airport.

According to Israeli reports Sunday evening, Hamam al-Hammami told investigators that Ben Gurion Airport was his intended target, rather than Tel Aviv as previously reported.

The reports, citing Israel’s Channel 12 journalist Amit Segal, said that al-Hammami planned to behave as though he was preparing the aircraft for a normal landing before deliberately crashing it into the airport terminal at a point when the aircraft could no longer be intercepted.

Journalist Moriah Asraf separately reported that al-Hammami told investigators he had specifically sought employment with Flydubai because the airline operated flights to Tel Aviv.

“I searched and checked which airline flies to Tel Aviv, and because of that I chose Flydubai,” he reportedly said during questioning. “I tried to get accepted by all the airlines. I planned the operation before I was accepted by the company.”

These claims have not been independently confirmed by UAE authorities, which are leading the criminal investigation. The UAE attorney general has officially described the September 30 incident as an attempted terrorist attack, saying the co-pilot attacked Captain Smit Machchhar inside the cockpit with a crash axe and attempted to seize control of the Boeing 737.

The aircraft, carrying more than 170 people, was flying from Dubai to Tel Aviv when the attack began. The captain was seriously injured but managed to open the reinforced cockpit door, allowing passengers and other crew members to enter and overpower al-Hammami. The aircraft had suffered a dramatic loss of altitude before being diverted to Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, where it landed safely.

Al-Hammami, an Omani national, was subsequently taken into custody and transferred to the United Arab Emirates. Israeli investigators and aviation experts have reportedly joined the UAE investigation.

The new reports could significantly alter the understanding of the motive if confirmed. Israeli security officials had previously assessed that al-Hammami was likely a radicalized lone actor. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said that investigators believe he underwent Islamist radicalization and may have been motivated by extremist ideology. However, authorities have not publicly established a connection between him and an outside terrorist organization.

The investigation has also raised serious questions about how al-Hammami was able to serve as a commercial pilot despite concerns about his background.

According to multiple reports, al-Hammami previously worked for Oman Air and was removed from flying duties after authorities reportedly discovered material and online activity that raised concerns about extremist views. He subsequently left Oman Air and was hired by Flydubai.

CBS News reported that sources familiar with the investigation said Omani authorities had monitored al-Hammami’s online activity and that he had visited radical websites. One source also alleged that he had posted material featuring Israeli aircraft alongside an image of former al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri. These claims have not been publicly confirmed by the Omani government.

Australian authorities have also opened an investigation into al-Hammami’s time in Australia. Reuters reported that he studied at RMIT University in Melbourne approximately a decade ago, while Australian counterterrorism authorities are examining his activities and contacts there.

The incident has consequently raised questions about international information-sharing and pilot screening, particularly because Israel and Oman do not have diplomatic relations.

Israeli authorities are now reviewing how an Omani national with reported previous security concerns was assigned to an Israel-bound flight. The investigation is also examining whether the co-pilot acted entirely alone or had assistance from others.

For now, the most significant new claim, that al-Hammami deliberately joined Flydubai in order to attack an Israel-bound aircraft and intended to crash it at Ben Gurion Airport, remains based on the Israeli reports of his interrogation and awaits independent confirmation from the UAE investigation.