ISTANBUL

An Israeli intelligence agency and a US military aircraft landed in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), state-run Israeli Public Broadcasting Corporation (IPBC) journalist stated on Thursday.

"The executive plane used by the Mossad (N467AM) and a VIP plane of the US Air Force (02-0201) landed together in the Emirati capital (Abu Dhabi)," wrote Itay Blumental, the IPBC's military correspondent, on Twitter.

He stated that the two planes took off from Israel on Thursday morning.

Following the arrival of the Israeli and US jets, Blumental reported in a subsequent tweet that Saudi Arabian planes also landed in Abu Dhabi.

So far, neither the Israeli nor the Emirati authorities has issued an official statement.

In September 2020, the UAE and Israel signed a US-sponsored deal to normalize their relations. Since then, the two countries have signed dozens of bilateral agreements in various fields, including investment, banking services, and tourism.

* Writing by Ahmed Asmar in Ankara