Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejected a Palestinian request to allow Jordanian helicopters to land in Ramallah to transport Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas directly from Ramallah to Syria, Israeli Army Radio reported Friday.

The radio station reported that Abbas had requested that Israel allow Jordanian helicopters to land in Ramallah and transport him to Damascus for a meeting with the head of the new Syrian administration, Ahmad al-Sharaa.

After Netanyahu rejected this request, Abbas was forced to travel by car from Ramallah to the Allenby Bridge crossing and enter Jordanian territory, from where he was flown by Jordanian helicopter to Damascus.

The radio indicated that Netanyahu's office did not comment on this report.