Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s official aircraft, the “Wing of Zion,” took an unexpected and highly scrutinized flight path en route to the United Nations General Assembly in New York today, bypassing several European countries in a move widely interpreted as a precautionary measure against potential legal risks.
Flight-tracking data revealed that the plane avoided airspace over nations such as France, Spain, and Portugal — all recent supporters of the International Criminal Court’s (ICC) investigation into alleged war crimes committed during Israel’s military operations in Gaza. Instead, the aircraft charted a southern course, passing only through Greece and Italy before veering through the Strait of Gibraltar and across the Atlantic Ocean.
The detour comes in the wake of ICC-issued arrest warrants for Prime Minister Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant. While France had reportedly authorized Israeli use of its airspace, the decision to avoid it — along with other Rome Statute signatories — appears to reflect heightened caution over the possibility of enforcement actions in case of emergency landings.
Aviation experts noted that the route added approximately 600 kilometers to the journey, underscoring the gravity of the legal and diplomatic considerations at play.
Netanyahu is scheduled to address the UN General Assembly on Friday, where he is expected to defend Israel’s military actions and respond to growing international pressure. He is also slated to meet with U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House next week.
The Prime Minister’s Office has not issued a formal statement regarding the flight path. Journalists were notably excluded from the trip, with officials citing “security considerations.”