Rare UAE to Israel Flight Will Carry Virus Aid for Palestinians
(Bloomberg) --A rare flight from the United Arab Emirates is expected arrive in Israel on Tuesday evening, and according to Israeli reports, it will be carrying medical equipment to help Palestinians fight the coronavirus pandemic.
The Etihad Airways flight from Abu Dhabi is scheduled to arrive a little before 10 p.m. at Ben Gurion Airport near Tel Aviv, Airports Authority spokesman Ofer Lefler said. He added that it will be carrying cargo, rather than passengers, but did not provide any further details.
The flight will carry more than 10 tons of medical equipment donated by Abu Dhabi, Army Radio Middle East editor Jacky Hugi said on Twitter, without saying where he got the information. The cargo will be handed over to the United Nations, which will distribute it in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.
A total of 388 coronavirus cases have been reported in the West Bank and Gaza. Two people have died in the West Bank.
This is the first time Etihad airlines will openly land in Israel, he said. A report on the website of the Israel Hayom newspaper said the shipment will arrive on an Airbus 330 plane.
While Israel and the UAE dont have diplomatic relations, ties between them have warmed in recent years, largely over a shared distrust of Iran. Still, there are no publicly known flights between the