JERUSALEM, May 3 (Xinhua) -- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has postponed his planned visit to Azerbaijan, said a statement from his office on Saturday.

Netanyahu's visit was scheduled to begin on Wednesday and last five days.

"In light of developments in the Gaza Strip and Syria, and due to a tight political and security schedule, Prime Minister Netanyahu has decided to postpone his visit to Azerbaijan to a later date," the statement said.

However, Israeli news website Walla and other Israeli media outlets reported that the reason for the cancellation was Türkiye's refusal to allow Netanyahu's plane to fly over its territory en route to Azerbaijan's capital, Baku.

Citing sources close to Netanyahu, the website said that his office had examined the possibility of flying via alternative flight routes. However, that would have almost doubled the flight duration, and it was decided to cancel the flight.

Since the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas conflict in 2023, relations between Israel and Türkiye have deteriorated, resulting in the recall of ambassadors and the severance of trade relations. ■