On Thursday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s plane took an unusual route to New York, bypassing several European countries to attend the United Nations General Assembly.
Although France had approved Israeli use of its airspace, a French diplomatic source told AFP that flight data revealed Netanyahu’s plane opted for a southern path.
The plane traveled over Greece and Italy, then went south via the Strait of Gibraltar before crossing the Atlantic.
This week, Britain, France, and Portugal joined other countries in recognizing a Palestinian state, a decision Netanyahu strongly opposes. Ireland and Spain announced their recognition in May.
According to Israeli media, Netanyahu’s plane took the detour to avoid countries that are signatories to the Rome Statute, which could enforce an ICC arrest warrant if an emergency landing was necessary.
In November, the ICC issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and former defense minister Yoav Gallant over alleged war crimes during Israel’s military action in Gaza.
Last week, Spain declared its support for the ICC probe and established a team to investigate alleged human rights abuses in Gaza, as part of wider efforts to pressure Israel to cease the conflict.
Netanyahu is set to speak at the UN General Assembly on Friday and plans to meet US President Donald Trump at the White House next week.
