An Etihad Airlines flight, direct from Abu Dhabi, was expected to land in Israel for the first time on Tuesday night, the Foreign Ministry confirmed.
A cargo flight for the United Arab Emirates flag carrier headed to Israel with humanitarian aid for Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza.
The donations were organized by the World Food Program in cooperation with Israel.
Israel and the UAE do not have diplomatic relations. The Foreign Ministry coordinated the flight, which will be of a plane that does not carry the Etihad logo.
The flight takes place amid warming ties between Israel and Gulf States. In recent weeks, three out of six Arab Gulf States said they would be interested in cooperation with Israel on medical matters during the coronavirus crisis, including the UAE.
There have also been several firsts in aviation during the COVID-19 pandemic, including the first direct flights between Israel and Australia, to evacuate Israeli citizens stuck down under.
