An Israel-bound plane diverts to Saudi Arabia for emergency landing and other Mideast developments

Israel’s Kan public broadcaster and Channel 12 reported that the Israeli military scrambled fighter jets after fears of a possible hijacking – with the hypothesis later dismissed. A Flydubai plane travelling from Dubai to Israel made an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia. Concerns about a possible airplane hijacking briefly gripped Israel, while the Lebanese army said the latest Israeli strike in southern Lebanon wounded a soldier and three civilians.

Meanwhile, in Iran, authorities executed two people accused of violence against security forces during the country’s January protests. Here is the latest news from the Middle East on Wednesday. Israel-bound plane makes emergency landing in Saudi Arabia A commercial plane traveling from the United Arab Emirates to Israel made an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia, briefly raising concerns about a possible hijacking and prompting Israel to scramble warplanes on Wednesday morning.

A regional official briefed on the incident, who spoke anonymously to be able to talk to the media, said a fight broke out in the cockpit and apparently involved pilots. It wasn’t immediately clear what had caused the fight. Passengers on the plane told Israel’s Channel 12 by phone that they heard shouts from other travelers in the forward cabin during the altercation, saying the plane dipped steeply before landing in Saudi Arabia.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office later said the situation was under control. — By Samy Magy in Cairo Lebanese army says soldier seriously wounded in Israeli strike An Israeli strike hit a Lebanese military vehicle in the village of Nabatiyeh al-Fawqa Wednesday, seriously wounding a soldier, the Lebanese army said. Three civilians were also wounded in the strike.

It was not clear why the army vehicle was targeted. The Israeli military did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The Lebanese and Israeli governments in June reached an agreement under which the Israeli military was to withdraw gradually from southern Lebanon and allow the Lebanese army to take control, in exchange for disarmament of the Iran-backed Lebanese militant group Hezbollah.

Implementation of the deal has stalled. Hezbollah and Israel’s latest war began on March 2, when the group fired missiles across the border two days after Israel and the U.S. Israel responded with bombardment and a ground invasion of Lebanon and is now occupying a large swath of the country’s south.