(Bloomberg) --

The Palestinian Authority has declined to accept a shipment of coronavirus aid sent by the United Arab Emirates aboard a rare direct flight to Tel Aviv this week, according to a report by Palestinian news agency Maan.

The supplies were rejected because the donation wasn’t coordinated with the Palestinians directly, and the authority doesn’t want to serve as a bridge for the normalization of ties between the UAE and Israel, the report said.

While Israel and the UAE don’t have diplomatic relations, relations between them have warmed in recent years, largely over a shared distrust of Iran. Still, there are generally no direct flights between the countries.

Read more: May 19, Rare UAE to Israel Flight Carries Virus Aid for Palestinians (2)

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