Supporters of the Al-Qaeda terrorist organization called for copycat attacks against Americans and Israeli passenger planes in a publication that referred to the September 11 attacks and praised Hammam al-Hammami, the flydubai co-pilot who attempted to hijack a flight. Four days after the attempted attack, Israeli authorities have yet to take responsibility for the failure or take steps to prevent similar incidents in the future.
The call was apparently published Friday and removed Saturday in the latest issue of “Al-Bayan,” a weekly publication launched by Al-Qaeda supporters in July. The New York Post reported that the issue referred both to the September 11 attacks and Wednesday’s attempted takeover of flydubai Flight FZ1073.
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Article in the Al-Qaeda supporters’ publication 'Al-Bayan' praising co-pilot Hammam al-Hammami
(Photo: New York Post)
“The war is not over. Planes carrying Zionists, Americans and other infidels fighting Islam are still circling the skies and can be struck, as happened on September 11 and September 30,” the article threatened.
The article featured an image of a plane crashing into the World Trade Center towers on September 11, 2001, alongside an image referring to Wednesday’s attack on the flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv.
“America and the Zionists have far more enemies today than they did in the past,” the article said. “Perhaps someone who does not believe in God will strike them, and his action will ultimately benefit Islam. The day will come when America’s evil empire will be destroyed.”
Al-Qaeda supporters called for copycat attacks. Co-pilot Hammam al-Hammami
(Photo: CNN)
Despite the Al-Qaeda publication, no evidence has emerged that al-Hammami acted on orders from the terrorist organization or under the direction of any other outside party. Israeli security officials believe al-Hamami underwent a process of “Islamic radicalization” and acted on his own. However, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and U.S. President Donald Trump have both suggested that the co-pilot was directed by others.
From Syria to Australia to flydubai
Media reports provide a general picture of al-Hammami’s background. The Wall Street Journal reported that he grew up in Syria during the civil war that began in 2011, where his radicalization process apparently began.
According to Britain’s Guardian, the co-pilot later received a visa to Australia. A Sydney newspaper reported that he studied engineering in Melbourne for three years, until his visa was revoked.
He subsequently served as a pilot for Oman Air, although this has not been officially confirmed. After extremist materials were found in his possession, he was suspended from his position in 2024 and fired about a year later. He was hired by flydubai in early 2026.
ABC News reported that he is cooperating with investigators in the United Arab Emirates, where authorities have already declared the incident an act of terrorism. He testified that he had planned to crash the plane.
Investigation into Israel’s failure: 'There is no 100% security'
Whatever al-Hammami’s motives, the central question remains how a pilot holding Omani citizenship, whose background should have raised multiple red flags, was still allowed to fly to Israel. The agencies involved in conducting background checks on foreign crew members aboard flights to Israel are already blaming one another.
Al-Hammami after stabbing a crew member and being subdued by passengers
Prime Minister Netanyahu acknowledged that there had been a “loophole” that al-Hammami managed to exploit: A citizen of a country with no formal relations with Israel had been authorized to fly an aircraft into the country.
ynet has learned that investigators are examining whether al-Hammami had previously entered Israel as a pilot. That contradicts initial briefings immediately after the attempted attack, when Israeli officials denied that possibility. Transportation Ministry officials did not deny that al-Hammami may have flown to Israel before but said they currently have no information confirming it.
The Transportation Ministry, the body responsible for security checks, said it is not an intelligence agency and did not have the intelligence capabilities needed to vet the names of pilots and crew members on flights arriving in Israel.
Senior ministry officials said data on crew members arriving in Israel aboard foreign flights had not been retrieved or checked for about two years. Transportation Minister Miri Regev has already placed responsibility for the failure on the Mossad and the Israel Tax Authority.
During a briefing for reporters, the Civil Aviation Authority had no answer when asked how many pilots from hostile countries may already have landed in Israel and how passengers could be confident about boarding a foreign airline.
“We estimate there were none. But we have no certainty. There is no such thing as 100% security. Only if we shut down aviation entirely will everything be safe. We rely on local security.”