Gazans may soon fly abroad via Eilat
Residents of the Gaza Strip may soon be able to fly to Turkey via Israel’s Ramon Airport near Eilat.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks during the opening ceremony for Ramon Airport near Eilat, Jan. 21, 2019. Photo by Yonatan Sindel/Flash90.
The pilot program could start as early as July when two flights are anticipated, Channel 12 reported. The final decision is subject to approval by the security and political echelons.
Gaza sources say the flights will be available to residents ages 35 and older. They will be shuttled to the airport from the Erez crossing to the northern Gaza Strip.
At present, Gazans travel via the Erez crossing by land to Jordan and fly abroad from there.
The announcement follows a similar one from the Israel Airports Authority in August 2022 that Palestinians from Judea and Samaria would be able to take charter flights from Ramon Airport to Turkey.
The first flight from the airport with Palestinian Arabs on board departed on August 22. Its destination was not Turkey but rather Cyprus.
The Palestinian Authority opposes the use of the Israeli airport, viewing it as an attack on Palestinian sovereignty and Palestinian-Jordanian relations, according to the Meir Amit Intelligence and Terrorism Information Centre.
JNS
