UAE flies coronavirus aid for Palestinians in first known commercial flight to Israel

A UAE commercial airline flew its first publicly acknowledged direct flight from its capital Abu Dhabi to Israel on Tuesday, a milestone in relations between two Middle East nations with no formal diplomatic ties. Etihad Airways Flight 9607 landed at Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion International Airport on Tuesday evening with 14 tons of medical aid for Palestinians to help cope with the coronavirus pandemic. While Israel and the UAE have cultivated deeper relations over the years, the Gulf nation doesn’t officially recognise Israel. The pandemic is creating fresh opportunities for Israel to strengthen its ties with its Arab neighbors, according to Israeli, Emirati and UN officials. “For the first time, an @etihad cargo plane just landed at Israel’s Ben-Gurion airport!” Israel’s top diplomat at the U.N., Ambassador Danny Danon, wrote on Twitter. “Hopefully soon, we will see passenger flights, too. Having visited, I know the UAE is a fascinating place, and look to continue improving relations between our countries.”<br/>