Hargeysa (Diplomat.so) - Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar arrived in Hargeisa, the capital of the self-declared Somaliland region, following a flight from Addis Ababa, according to Al Jazeera's digital verification unit. The plane's destination was initially undisclosed.
The verification unit tracked the aircraft, obtaining details on its type, nationality, and flight path. The plane departed Addis Ababa at approximately 9:24 a.m. local time on Tuesday and briefly disappeared from public flight tracking before its arrival was confirmed.
Footage later shared on X (formerly Twitter) showed Somaliland’s President, Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi, welcoming Sa’ar and senior Israeli officials. The plane, operated by Romanian airline Fly Lili, landed at Egal International Airport in Hargeisa.
According to the verification unit, the aircraft had departed Tel Aviv on Monday at 8:52 a.m. local time, arriving in Addis Ababa around 1:55 p.m., aligning with reports from Israeli media that Sa’ar reached Somaliland via Ethiopia.
The visit follows Israel’s official recognition of Somaliland on December 26, 2025, a decision that drew widespread regional and international criticism, with calls to respect Somalia’s territorial sovereignty.
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