Israeli envoy Reuven Azar warned India and Israel of a new radical Islamist terror wave. He said, "The terrorists are faster than we are, and we have to become faster than them." This follows the recent flydubai hijack attempt, where an Indian pilot stopped a co-pilot from crashing the plane.
Israeli envoy to India Reuven Azar warned India and Israel of a possible new "radical Islamist terror attack wave", arguing that terrorists were developing capabilities faster than governments and security agencies. In an exclusive interview with India Today against the backdrop of the flydubai hijack attempt, Azar sought to drive home his point by citing how Hamas was inspiring terrorist organisations in India's neighbourhood.
"The terrorists are faster than we are, and we have to become faster than them. We have to be diligent. We have to be fast if we want to be ahead of the next (Islamist terror attack) wave. And there will be a next wave," Azar stressed. The pointed remarks by the Israeli envoy come as Tel Aviv marked the third anniversary of the October 7, 2023, attack, which sparked the devastating war in Gaza.
ENVOY CITES HAMAS ACTIVITIES IN PAK
When asked if he believed that terror groups were increasingly cooperating, Azar pointed to Hamas's recent activities beyond the Middle East. Over the past year, several top Hamas commanders have been spotted in Pakistan and Bangladesh. Hamas leaders like Naji Zaheer and Khaled al-Kadumi have also been seen attending events organised by terror outfits Jaish-e-Mohammed and Lashkar-e-Taiba.
He cited the 2025 Pahalgam terror attack as an example, calling it a "manifestation" of that influence. The Pahalgam massacre, which sparked Operation Sindoor, left 25 tourists dead.
"Hamas has inspired terrorist outfits in this region, and the Pahalgam attack was a manifestation of that. We have seen Hamas representatives coming and doing meetings, and we don't know what's happening behind the scenes," Azar said.
Calling it a part of the "reality", the Israeli envoy urged democracies to develop the capabilities to confront and "overcome" the threat.
His warning comes as investigators probe the flydubai horror, where an Omani co-pilot tried to kill the captain, take the aircraft's controls and crash it in Tel Aviv.
However, the captain, Indian national Smit Machchhar, thwarted the attempt by fighting back and unlocking the cockpit door in the nick of time. This eventually allowed the passengers to enter the cockpit and subdue the co-pilot, identified as Hamam al-Hammami.
Investigators have found that al-Hammami had deeply religious views and underwent Islamic radical indoctrination.
ON FLYDUBAI HORROR PROBE
Azar said the investigation had not yet established whether the incident was a lone-wolf attack. However, he described the incident as a "present danger".
"There's no doubt that this is a present danger. Terrorists, and also the Iranian regime, will try to find any crack to try to prove that they haven't been defeated," he said.
So far, Israel has conspicuously avoided blaming Iran for the incident, even though US President Donald Trump has hinted at Tehran's hand.
Several reports in Israeli media said Tel Aviv was prepared to shoot down the aircraft, carrying 174 passengers, if the leadership sensed a potential 9/11-style threat. Israeli fighter jets were also scrambled, but they were called back as the aircraft turned towards Saudi Arabia and made an emergency landing.
Without explicitly confirming it, Azar said emergency protocols were indeed activated. He said the air force was put on alert and a decision was awaited on whether to intercept the flydubai aircraft.
"Usually, when such an incident happens, our jets are dispatched, and the political leadership also gets alerted. It is then up to the decision makers, including the PM, to take a call regarding interception, whether it be a combat jet or civilian plane," Azar said.
Fortunately, Azar said, the actions of Machchhar and the passengers averted a major disaster. The 38-year-old Indian captain suffered a fractured skull and several injuries during the attack by al-Hammami.
"Thanks to the heroism, the courage and bravery of Indian pilot Smit Machchhar and the bravery of the passengers, this attack was averted," the envoy said.