Child's Wi-Fi Prank Raises Israeli Fighter Jets

The Israeli Air Force has launched fighter jets to escort a Wizz Air passenger jet after a child on board called a Wi-Fi hotspot on his phone a "terrorist".

A Wizz Air flight took off from Luton Airport and on its way to Ben Gurion Airport, one of the passengers saw a message on his phone that he took as a threat.

It was later revealed that the "message" was the name of a Wi-Fi hotspot the child created on his phone, calling the network "terrorist". The unusual name quickly caused consternation among passengers and crew, prompting security measures.

After the incident, the Israeli Air Force launched several fighter jets to escort the plane to Tel Aviv. Before landing, the plane circled the Mediterranean Sea three times.

After landing at Ben Gurion Airport, passengers and their luggage were carefully screened, including by dogs specialized in detecting explosives. During this period, the authorities temporarily suspended all flights.

A spokesman for the Israel Airports Authority said that after an inspection, it was determined that there was no credible threat and air traffic soon returned to normal.