Turkish airport workers in Turkey Antalya refused to refuel an Israeli plane of EI Al Airlines that made an emergency landing on Sunday, June 30.
In a press release, El Al, Israel’s national airline stated that “local airport staff refused to refuel the plane, even though the plane was not in a fuel emergency.”
The incident reportedly occurred after El Al flight LY5102 from Warsaw to Tel Aviv diverted to Antalya around 3:00 pm local time when a passenger fell ill and required urgent medical attention.
Reacting to the incident, Turkish diplomatic sources confirmed the flight was allowed an emergency landing at Antalya airport to evacuate a sick passenger.
“Fuel was to be provided to the plane due to humanitarian considerations, but as the relevant procedure was about to be completed, the captain decided to leave of his own accord,” a Turkish diplomatic source said quoted by The Israel Times.
The refusal to refuel the plane was likely due to the ongoing political tensions between Turkey and Israel. El Al planes are often targeted by boycotts and protests in various countries due to Israel’s treatment of Palestinians.
The Palestinian death toll from ongoing Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip has risen to 37,877.
During the past 24 hours, the Israeli military killed 43 people and wounded 111 others, bringing the total death toll to 37,877 and injuries to 86,969 since the Palestinian-Israeli conflict broke out in October 2023, it added on Sunday.
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