Dubai, in the United Arab Emirates
Dubai, in the United Arab EmiratesFREEPIK

A flight that was due to depart from the United Arab Emirates for Israel has been delayed for several hours with no updates on when, if at all, it will take off, or the reason for the delay.

Passengers, who had boarded the airplane in Dubai before the delay was announced, have been ordered to disembark. Their belongings have been removed for an inspection described by some as "meticulous," confined to those passengers who are traveling with smartphone devices. Security personnel have demanded access codes for these devices and are scanning cell phone content of the relevant passengers.

One passenger told Channel 12 News that, "Staff have told us nothing whatsoever, but the Israeli passengers are saying that it could be because someone sent a picture of an airplane exploding."

Several months ago, a flight out of Ben Gurion Airport in Israel headed for Turkey was cancelled after several passengers used smartphone technology to transmit pictures of exploding airplanes.