Netanyahu’s jet takes detour to UN amid ICC warrant concerns

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s flight to New York for the United Nations General Assembly followed an unusual path on Thursday, bypassing several European nations.

Although a French diplomatic source told AFP that Paris had granted permission for Israeli use of its airspace, flight-tracking data indicated the prime minister’s plane instead flew south, crossing Greece and Italy, before veering through the Strait of Gibraltar and continuing across the Atlantic.

The detour came just days after Britain, France, and Portugal formally recognised a Palestinian state, joining Ireland and Spain, which made similar declarations in May — a move Netanyahu has strongly opposed.

Israeli outlets reported that the altered route was chosen to avoid countries that are signatories to the Rome Statute, which under certain circumstances could act on the International Criminal Court’s arrest warrant against Netanyahu in the event of an emergency landing.

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The ICC issued warrants in November for both Netanyahu and former defence minister Yoav Gallant, citing alleged war crimes linked to Israel’s military campaign in Gaza. Spain recently announced it would back the court’s probe, forming a team to investigate reported human rights violations as part of its wider diplomatic push to pressure Israel over the conflict.

Netanyahu is expected to deliver his address to the UN General Assembly on Friday and will travel to Washington next week for a meeting with US President Donald Trump.