Three men in their 20s from central Israel were arrested on Friday aboard a Lufthansa flight at Ben Gurion Airport shortly before takeoff to Frankfurt, Channel 12 News reported.
According to police, the suspects engaged in unruly behavior, refused to follow the cabin crew's instructions, and posed a safety threat to passengers and crew members. Police stated that the three will be brought before a judge, where investigators will request an extension of their detention.
Police reported that the flight crew, who were making final preparations for departure, alerted Ben Gurion Airport precinct officers after reporting three unruly passengers on board.
A senior source familiar with the investigation told Channel 12 News that the men refused to comply with instructions from the flight attendants and crew. As a result, Lufthansa declared it would not take off while they remained on board, citing a danger to passengers and crew.
Ben Gurion Airport precinct officers boarded the aircraft and asked the men to disembark, but they refused, according to police. Officers then placed the three under arrest and transferred them to the airport precinct for questioning.
Police allege that during the arrest, the suspects assaulted the officers, who were forced to use reasonable force to complete the detention. Officials added that four police officers and two volunteer officers were injured during the incident and transported for medical treatment. According to police, some officers were even bitten by the suspects during the altercation.
During the arrest process, one of the suspects said to a female officer: "I wish another October 7th happens to you police officers." Police stated that the investigation remains ongoing, and based on its findings, investigators will request a further extension of the three suspects' remand tomorrow evening.
(Arutz Sheva-Israel National News' North American desk is keeping you updated until the start of Shabbat in New York. The time posted automatically on all Israel National News articles, however, is Israeli time.)