World Cup 2022: First ever Israel-Qatar flight lands in Doha
The first ever direct flight between Israel and Qatar landed in the capital, Doha, on Sunday, with Israel hailing it as a breakthrough for relations between the two countries.
According to tracker FlightRadar24, the flight from Tel Aviv to Doha touched down on Sunday afternoon in advance of the World Cup opening ceremony.
Though Israel and Qatar at present have no official diplomatic ties, the flight has been praised by Israel and the United States as an example of warming relations.
At least 10,000 Israelis are expected at the month-long tournament in Qatar, most of them coming through third countries. Those boarding the Cyprus-based TUS Airways plane at Ben Gurion Airport, near Tel Aviv, had originally been told they would have a brief stopover in Cyprus.
However, they got a non-stop three-hour connection instead, thanks to a deal announced by Fifa last week which it described as allowing Palestinians as well as Israelis to fly direct, with TUS Airways confirmed as the approved carrier.
Israeli foreign ministry official Lior Haiat, speaking from Ben Gurion airport, told AFP that "history has been made" with the "first direct flight from Tel Aviv to Doha".
When Fifa announced the deal for direct Israel-Qatar flights on 10 November, it claimed that "Palestinian ticket holders and media" would be "able to travel on these chartered flights with no restrictions".
But it was not immediately clear to what extent Palestinian residents of the Israeli-occupied West Bank or blockaded Gaza Strip would have access to the charter.
Fifa said the arrangement would be subject "to Israel's security requirements".
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