New York: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s recent flight to the United States took a surprising detour, avoiding most European airspace and adding nearly 600 kilometres to the journey. The unusual route to New York for the United Nations General Assembly has drawn attention amid questions over the reasons behind it.

An altered course to avoid Europe

Netanyahu travelled to New York aboard Israel’s official aircraft, the Wings of Zion, which normally takes a direct route over central Europe, crossing airspace in countries such as France, Spain, Italy and Greece. This time, the flight bypassed most of those nations, instead crossing only the southern tips of Greece and Italy before flying across the Mediterranean and heading over the Atlantic via the Strait of Gibraltar. The change added an estimated 600 kilometres to the trip, according to flight tracking data.

Ordinarily, the most direct path would pass over France, Spain, Portugal, Ireland and the United Kingdom. These nations are signatories to the International Criminal Court (ICC) statute, and several have expressed willingness to act on an ICC warrant against Netanyahu.

The ICC arrest warrant

In November 2024, the ICC issued an arrest warrant for Netanyahu and former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant, accusing them of war crimes and crimes against humanity linked to Israel’s military campaign in Gaza. Israel strongly denies the allegations.

The warrant said there were grounds to believe Netanyahu and Gallant used “starvation as a method of warfare” by restricting humanitarian aid and deliberately targeting civilians. The court cited shortages of food, electricity, fuel, water and medical supplies, stating these created conditions “calculated to bring about the destruction of part of the civilian population in Gaza.”

Several European ICC member states, including Ireland and Spain, have said they would arrest Netanyahu if he entered their territory. France, however, stated it would not detain him, while Italy questioned whether such enforcement would be possible.

Possible reasons for the detour

While Israel and the United States are not ICC members, flying over countries bound by the warrant could have forced Netanyahu’s plane to land and risked his arrest. That concern appears to have informed the altered route.

According to Israel’s Haaretz newspaper, Israel requested French clearance to use its airspace, and a French diplomatic source confirmed approval. Yet the aircraft did not pass through French skies, suggesting the plan changed before or during the flight. “They decided to take another route, and we don’t know the reason,” the diplomat said.

Earlier in February, Israel’s ambassador to the United States, Yechiel Leiter, told a pro-settlement group that Netanyahu’s flights to Washington had been planned to avoid emergency landings in Europe. The Prime Minister’s Office also stated weeks before the trip that some journalists and staff would not travel with Netanyahu “due to technical arrangements related to seating and security,” a move that would help offset additional fuel needs.

A sensitive diplomatic context

The rerouted flight comes at a politically sensitive time. Netanyahu is heading to the UN to deliver a speech before meeting President Donald Trump in Washington. Tensions with European nations, particularly France, have grown amid their recognition of an independent Palestinian state and criticism of Israel’s Gaza offensive. Netanyahu strongly opposes such recognition and has built much of his political career opposing the creation of a Palestinian state.

(With inputs from agencies)