‘Revenge for Gaza’: Omani co-pilot on flydubai flight told investigators he wanted to ‘die as martyr’

The Omani co-pilot who allegedly attempted to crash the Israel-bound flydubai flight and attacked his Indian co-pilot was reportedly acting to seek “revenge for Gaza”.

Al-Hammamai had also spent six months in New Zealand as part of his flight training, police said on Tuesday. (Representational Photo/REUTERS)29-year-old Hamam al-Hammami told the interrogators that he was acting “in revenge for Gaza” and that he “wanted to die as a martyr", reported the Times of Israel, citing Channel 12 news.

A Mossad official also told Israeli ministers on Sunday that al-Hammami briefly visited 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 of Shin Bet, Israel's domestic security agency, are participating in the interrogation of al-Hammami and flew to the United Arab Emirates to participate in his questioning, Times of Israel reported.

Additionally, new details about the Omani co-pilot emerged from Australia and New Zealand.

Al-Hammami reportedly did not complete his university studies in Australia, according to the institution where he was enrolled. He had studied engineering at RMIT University in Melbourne but did not complete the qualification, the university said in a statement on Monday.

His time in Australia is now being examined as investigators look into whether his years there 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 it was unable to comment further as investigations continue.

The university is among Australia’s oldest tertiary institutions and has around 99,000 students.

Australia is looking into the Omani pilot's links to the country. Investigators are also probing al-Hammami’s alleged visits to radical mosques and extremist websites during his time in Australia, the Financial Times reported on Sunday citing people familiar with the matter.

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

"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 making further inquiries into the co-pilot's time in the country.

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