The Omani copilot who allegedly stabbed the captain of a Flydubai flight carrying Israelis and attempted to bring down the aircraft had discussed killing Jews on social media and appears to have been radicalized by jihadist ideology, an Israeli official said Thursday.

The official told The Times of Israel that investigators examining the attacker’s background uncovered disturbing material on his social media accounts.

“This was a person who was willing to commit suicide,” the official said. “His social media accounts [say] clearly that he has been radicalized into jihadist ideology. He talks about killing Jews.”

The official said that after being subdued aboard the aircraft, the suspect also asked Emirati crew members to kill him, according to accounts provided by passengers.

The emerging evidence is strengthening suspicions that the incident was a deliberate suicide terror attack aimed at destroying the aircraft and killing those aboard.

“We can’t say for sure until the investigation’s over,” the official cautioned, “but it certainly seems like he was a suicide actor who was probably going to try to down that plane.”

Israeli authorities formally classified Wednesday’s incident as a terrorist attack, though officials have said there is currently no clear evidence that Iran or another outside actor directed the alleged attacker.

The suspect is expected to be transferred from Saudi Arabia to the United Arab Emirates, where authorities will continue investigating the attack.

“Our understanding is he’s going to be transferred to the UAE,” the Israeli official said. “We will be part of that investigation.”

Israel is simultaneously conducting its own internal investigation into the catastrophic security breach and has already begun making changes to aviation security procedures, according to the official.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)