UAE operates first flight to Israel with COVID-19 aid for Palestinians

The United Arab Emirates flew its first publicly announced flight to Israel on Tuesday when Etihad Airways sent medical supplies to help Palestinians affected by the coronavirus pandemic.

Except for Jordan and Egypt, Arab countries have no official relations with Israel, but Gulf Arab nations like the UAE have been warming ties recently amid shared concern over regional rival Iran.

State-owned Etihad Airways confirmed that it had sent a flight Tuesday to Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion Airport but the UAE government did not provide immediate comment.

“Etihad Airways operated a dedicated humanitarian cargo flight from Abu Dhabi to Tel Aviv on 19 May to provide medical supplies to the Palestinians,” an Etihad spokesperson said. “The flight had no passengers on board.”

The official UAE news agency said the flight involved the delivery of 14 tonnes of urgent medical supplies that “will support the efforts to curb the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact in the occupied Palestinian territory”.

The United Nations said it coordinated the 14-tonne shipment of “urgent medical supplies” from the UAE to help curb the spread of COVID-19 in the Palestinian territories, according to a statement from the United Nations Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process (UNSCO).

Interestingly, neither the Gaza Strip nor the West Bank has its own airport, meaning most cargo bound for Palestinian territory must enter through Israel.

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