Israel Surprised by Saudi Refusal to Allow Rescue Flight

Israel was surprised when Saudi Arabia refused its request to send an Israeli rescue flight to Tabuk Airport to retrieve Israeli passengers stranded there. The request was made after a Flydubai flight landed in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, on Wednesday. Israeli officials had expected the Saudis to approve the flight, which could have been operated by El Al or the Israeli Air Force.

Israel even proposed that the rescue plane arrive without Israeli markings, but Saudi Arabia ultimately rejected this offer as well. The Israeli passengers were eventually rescued by a different Flydubai flight that had landed in Saudi Arabia earlier. The surprise refusal comes despite recent warming relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia, particularly in light of rising tensions with Iran and the Houthis in Yemen.

A source close to the Saudi royal family told i24NEWS that "Israel needs to understand that normalization cannot be forced." Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke with UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed about securing Israeli flights to the UAE and strengthening bilateral ties, despite attempts to disrupt these relations. The UAE has maintained the Tel Aviv-Dubai flight route even during periods of security tension and threats in the region.