No Flights Under New Rules Yet for West Bank Palestinians

No Flights Under New Rules Yet for West Bank Palestinians

A group of Palestinian passengers flew to Cyprus from an Israeli airport on Monday, but the flight was not organized under a promised arrangement easing travel restrictions for residents of the occupied West Bank, an airports authority spokesperson said.

Israeli authorities agreed earlier this month, following pressure from the United States, to ease some of the strict travel restrictions which prevent Palestinians from using Israeli airports - including Ben Gurion, Israel's main international hub - without special permission.

Israel's Airports Authority said on Aug. 9 it would allow special flights from Ramon Airport, near the Red Sea resort of Eilat, to take Palestinian passengers to some destinations in Turkey, Reuters reported.

The program had been due to start this month but was delayed for unspecified reasons by the airport authority, according to a statement on Sunday.

The change came amid continuing tensions on the West Bank where Israeli troops have conducted near daily operations against suspected militant groups and clashed repeatedly with Palestinian protesters.

An airports authority spokesperson said the Palestinian passengers departing from Ramon Airport for Cyprus on Monday were not part of the program but were leaving under a separate arrangement.

"It's a regular scheduled flight. I'm not checking who the passengers are on