A mother aboard the Flydubai flight to Tel Aviv has revealed she didn't know which of her children to say goodbye to first as she told them their fate was 'in God's hands'.
asserted
fate → reveal → hands
Lital Hirschl-Shahar, 39, said she 'saw death coming' on Wednesday's Flydubai flight FZ1073 as it plummeted 14,000ft in 29 seconds during the attempted hijack.
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it → say → hijack
Hero captain Smit Machchhar managed to fight off Hamam Al Hammami and, crucially, open the cockpit door after being struck to the back of the head with an axe by his 'jihadist' co-pilot.
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Machchhar → manage → pilot
Moments earlier, he had respectfully turned away from Al Hammami, believing his colleague was praying rather than preparing to strike him.
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colleague → turn → him
But a woman spotted the attack while going to the loo, causing her to sprint down the plane screaming: 'He's stabbing the pilot.'
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He → spot → pilot
Four Israeli men, Ms Hirschl-Shahar recounts, then ran to the front of the plane – and to the aid of Mr Machchhar – as their children screamed: 'Father, no! Come back.'
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children → recount → Machchhar
The plane then plunged and rocked from side to side as the men wrestled axe-wielding Al Hammami, a 29-year-old Omani national, to the ground.
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men → plunge → ground
They eventually managed to restrain him and miraculously regain control of the plane.
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They → manage → plane
Mr Machchhar's heroics later earned him a guest-of-honour invitation to Israel from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
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heroics → earn → Netanyahu
'We saw death coming.
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death → see → ?
We couldn't breathe.
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We → breathe → ?
My oldest of four daughters looked at me and said, "Mum, you are all grey".
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you → look → me
I felt like I had no blood in my face and head anymore,' Ms Hirschl-Shahar, who was sat on the tenth row, tells the Daily Mail in an exclusive interview.
'
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who → feel → interview
But as a mum, I didn't care about myself.
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I → care → myself
"What can I do?
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I → do → What
Who should I hold first?
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I → hold → Who
Who should I hug?
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I → hug → Who
How do I do that?"
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I → do → that
'I tried to stay calm for my girls, but the screams were ones you can never forget.
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you → try → girls
I was sat in the middle, next to my five-year-old.
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I → sit → old
I didn't want them to be panicked, I just told them we are in God's hands.
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we → want → hands
And especially now, we just need to pray.
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we → need → ?
Hirschl-Shahar (pictured in Singapore) revealed the agonising moment she was forced to choose which of her children to say goodbye to first
The suspected attacker has been identified as Hamam Al Hammami, an Omani national
It has since emerged the axeman Al Hammami was previously banned from flying over concerns of extreme views after it was revealed he spent time in ISIS-controlled Syria.
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he → picture → Syria
He had also studied at Buckinghamshire New University.
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He → study → University
Investigators in the United Arab Emirates, which is leading the investigation, said the co-pilot planned the 'terrorist act' by attacking Mr Machchhar with the weapon.
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pilot → lead → weapon
Airlines are generally required to carry crash axes in the cockpit that could be used in an emergency to break open a window or break open a panel to access a fire.
uncertain
that → require → fire
The axes are generally stored in the cockpits where the crew can reach them, but they aren't accessible to passengers.
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they → store → passengers
Israel's defence minister Israel Katz said on Wednesday the 'attempted jihadist terror attack' was 'thwarted only thanks to the heroism of several Israeli passengers'.
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attack → say → passengers
It is for this reason Ms Hirschl-Shahar, whose husband was flying back on a separate flight from the family holiday in Singapore, believes her family's lives were saved.
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lives → fly → Singapore
'We are Israelis, so unfortunately, we know how to immediately respond to these situations,' she said.
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she → know → situations
'We understood we have a terrorist on our flight, and so they fought, caught and handcuffed him.
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they → understand → him
And luckily the flight had so many miracles, like having the pilots on board and the pilot's last push in opening the door.
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flight → have → door
Otherwise, we would have crashed.
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we → crash → ?
Mr Machchhar was praised for saving the lives of those 174 passengers on board, which included four Americans, and preventing the believed suicide mission.
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which → praise → mission
Mr Netanyahu is among the masses, and has invited the Indian national to visit the Jewish State as guest of honour in May, alongside Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
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Netanyahu → invite → Modi
The pair are invited to light a flame at a national ceremony for Israel's Independence Day, normally reserved for Israelis.
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pair → invite → Israelis
'You are a true hero of the brave peoples of India and Israel and you are a hero of the entire world,' Mr Netanyahu said in a video his office released of his telephone conversation with the captain.
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office → say → captain
The co-pilot (pictured) is understood to have used the cockpit's crash axe in his attempt to take control of the Flydubai plane in the 'terrorist attack'
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pilot → picture → attack
Graphic footage filmed by passengers on the flight shows the wounded pilot Smit Machchhar lying on the floor as others tend to him
Asked how the attack unfolded, Mr Machchhar said the co-pilot had asked to take time to pray, as devout Muslims do five times a day.
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Muslims → film → time
'A lot of locals, they do pray, which is not out of the ordinary.
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which → pray → ordinary
…and 33 more, not listed.
The Aporia
