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Added on the 22/12/2020 11:11:12 - Copyright : France 24 EN
White House advisor Jared Kushner boards the first Israel-UAE commercial flight on Monday after a US-brokered deal to normalise ties. IMAGES
Footage provided courtesy of TVNZ shows the moment that world's longest commercial flight touched down in a country on the edge of the world. Qatar Airways' service from Doha landed in Auckland airport on Monday, flying for a total of 16 hours and 23 minutes before landing in the capital of New Zealand. The airplane of choice was a Boeing 777, which can host up to 259 passengers on board. The plane crossed 10 time zones and covered just over 9,000 miles after departing from its home airport in the Middle East. In keeping with international tradition, fire and rescue teams showered the plane with water cannons upon arrival.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken says during a press conference in Doha that Saudi Arabia's de facto ruler reiterated an interest in ties with Israel but wants an end to the Gaza conflict and a pathway to a Palestinian state. SOUNDBITE
The first commercial trucks have entered the Gaza Strip since the war, joining UN-led deliveries, the United States says. It is "a critical step towards improving the lives of the Palestinian people in Gaza that we see not just humanitarian aid delivered, but also commercial goods that can be sold in stores and markets," US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller tells reporters. SOUNDBITE
Images of rockets fired as seen from the Kerem Shalom crossing, the only point of entry for goods between Gaza and Israel, which remains closed after the Israeli army said it found explosives hidden in trucks. Impoverished Gaza, home to around 2.3 million Palestinians, is under a tight land, air and sea blockade imposed by Israel, whose defence ministry controls all crossings except Rafah which is controlled by Egypt. IMAGES
Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana offers the "World's smallest Koran" to his Moroccan counterpart Rachid Talbi Alami during his visit to Rabat, the first such visit by a head of Israeli parliament to the North African kingdom. IMAGES
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