An Israeli military aircraft avoids Spain and passes through Morocco twice

The unusual flight path was spotted again on Saturday, August 29. The Israeli aircraft passed through Moroccan airspace before heading back toward the Mediterranean, skirting the south of Ceuta without entering Spanish airspace, according to flight-tracking data shared by several specialized accounts and Abu Ali Express.

The aircraft in question is an Israeli Air Force Boeing 707-300. Its Mode-S code, 738B42, corresponds to military aircraft number 295, operated by Israel and still in service. It can notably carry out transport and in-flight refueling missions.

This passage through Morocco is not a first. On August 14, the same type of aircraft had already avoided the Iberian Peninsula on its way to Colombia. Tracking maps then showed the aircraft heading down toward Morocco after crossing the Mediterranean, before flying over an area south of Ceuta and Tangier and continuing its route over the Atlantic.

On Bladi.net : Spain Scraps €700M Israeli Rocket Deal Amid Diplomatic Tensions

The aircraft was then carrying an Israeli humanitarian delegation sent to Colombia after the powerful earthquake that had struck the country. The Israel Defense Forces confirmed that they had deployed a team made up of approximately 80 rescuers, engineers, and specialists. The mission took part in search-and-rescue operations for several days before returning to Israel.

From the first journey, several accounts specializing in open-source intelligence had claimed that Spain had refused the Israeli Boeing permission to cross its airspace. The detour through Morocco would then have allowed the aircraft to continue its mission without flying over Spanish territory.

Did Spain actually refuse passage?

This explanation should nevertheless be treated with caution. The Spanish media outlet Enfoque Judío had directly questioned the various parties after the first flight. The Israel Defense Forces had not confirmed that Spain had refused permission, and the Israeli Embassy in Madrid had replied that it had “nothing to comment on.”

Roni Kaplan, spokesperson for the Israeli humanitarian mission and himself present on board, had also explained that he did not know the details concerning overflight authorizations. No Israeli request addressed to Madrid, nor any Spanish decision rejecting it, has so far been made public.

The aircraft’s flight path nevertheless remains remarkable: both on the outbound journey and during the new passage observed on its return, the Israeli military aircraft chose Moroccan airspace and avoided Spain.

Since September 2025, Madrid has applied particularly strict restrictions concerning military flows linked to Israel. Pedro Sánchez’s government notably decided to deny entry into Spanish airspace to state aircraft carrying defense equipment intended for Israel. This measure is among those officially announced by the Spanish government.

On Bladi.net : Spain Arms Sales to Morocco Surge as Israel Trade Faces Veto

The choice of Moroccan airspace comes in a very different context. Despite the war in Gaza and the tensions it has caused in public opinion, Rabat and Tel Aviv maintain their military cooperation. Morocco has notably acquired several Israeli defense systems and pieces of equipment in recent years.