Flydubai Co-Pilot Told Investigators He Wanted 'Revenge For Gaza', 'To Die As A Martyr': Report

The Omani co-pilot who allegedly tried to crash an Israel-bound flydubai flight and attacked his Indian co-pilot told investigators that he acted to seek “revenge for Gaza”, according to reports.

Hamam al-Hammami, 29, told interrogators that he was acting “in revenge for Gaza” and that he “wanted to die as a martyr", the Times of Israel reported, citing Channel 12 news.

Mossad probing foreign visits

A Mossad official told Israeli ministers on Sunday that al-Hammami had briefly travelled to countries hostile to Israel in recent years, Channel 12 reported, citing two sources.

“We are checking whether, during those visits, an individual or an organization of any kind activated or recruited him,” a Mossad representative said, according to the report.

Agents from Shin Bet, Israel’s domestic security agency, are also participating in al-Hammami’s interrogation and travelled to the United Arab Emirates to take part in his questioning, the Times of Israel reported.

Australian university studies under scrutiny

New details have also emerged about al-Hammami’s time in Australia. He studied engineering at RMIT University in Melbourne but did not complete the qualification, the university said in a statement on Monday.

Investigators are examining whether his years in Australia played any role in his alleged radicalisation.

RMIT said it was “aware of media reporting of a former student alleged to be involved in the FlyDubai flight incident,” adding that it was unable to comment further while investigations continued.

The university, one of Australia’s oldest tertiary institutions, has around 99,000 students.

Australian authorities are examining al-Hammami’s links to the country. Investigators are also probing his alleged visits to radical mosques and extremist websites while he was in Australia, the Financial Times reported on Sunday, citing people familiar with the matter.

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Six months of flight training in New Zealand

Al-Hammami also spent six months in New Zealand as part of his flight training, police said on Tuesday. He stayed in the country from November 2018 to May 2019 on a six-month student visa.

"Immigration records show he arrived in New Zealand on 30 November 2018 and departed 23 May 2019," New Zealand Assistant Commissioner Michael Johnson said in an emailed statement to news agency Reuters.

"Police can confirm the co-pilot was in New Zealand to complete a portion of his flight training for a UK-based company, no longer operating in New Zealand," he added.

New Zealand police said they were reviewing records and conducting further inquiries into al-Hammami’s time in the country.