A plane belonging to the Abu Dhabi Emirate’s Etihad Airways landed in Ben Gurion Airport, east of Tel Aviv, without hiding its features and identity, but without any coordination with the Palestinian side, for the second time in three weeks.
It was announced in Israel that the plane was carrying Emirati aid to the Palestinians, and that it came after coordination between Abu Dhabi and the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Israeli circles celebrated the landing of the Emirati plane, and the media published videos and pictures of its landing at the airport with its official slogan "Al-Ittihad" and the UAE flag.
An Etihad Airways plane landed in Israel on a direct flight from Abu Dhabi bearing the official emblem of Emirates Airlines, with artificial respirators on board for Palestinians to meet Corona. The trip took place in coordination with Israel and the United Nations.
We hope that the upcoming trips will carry tourists from the Emirates to Israel pic.twitter.com/OC6lAC1GgP
- Israel in the Gulf (@IsraelintheGulf) June 9, 2020
Israeli army spokesman Avichai Adraei described the landing of the Emirati plane as a "historical event". This time, she arrived with her official identity, unlike the previous time that she hid her landmarks.
Israeli media said that the Emirati plane landed for the second time at Ben Gurion Airport within a short period of time to deliver aid to the authority despite the Palestinian refusal to do so, and they expressed their hopes that the trip would be a prelude to a normal and public relationship between Israel and the UAE, and that incoming trips would carry tourists from the Gulf country to Tel Tel.
Historic event at the Israeli Ben Gurion International Airport this evening. An Emirati cargo plane from Etihad Airways landing at the airport carrying humanitarian aid to the Palestinians. pic.twitter.com/KCjV33Ogmy
- Evikhai Adraei (@AvichayAdraee) June 9, 2020
The Palestinian position
On the other hand, the Palestinian Authority announced that it was not aware of the Emirates plane, and was not a party to any coordination regarding it.
Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammed Shtayyeh said that the UAE has not coordinated with the Palestinian side regarding any possible assistance.
He added during a meeting held in his office with foreign media, that the Palestinian government was unaware of this aid, and heard about it from the media, and that it would not accept that it would be a cover for normalization with Israel, while expressing the welcoming of any international aid, but after coordination and talk With the Palestinian government directly.
Government sources in the Gaza Strip also denied the island its knowledge of the arrival of an Emirati plane loaded with medical aid, and confirmed that they were not informed of this matter from any party.
This is the second Emirati plane to land at the Israeli airport within three weeks, coming directly from the Emirates.
The Palestinian Authority had refused to receive the first plane's cargo three weeks ago, and said it would not accept being a cover for normalization with Israel.