An high-level Israeli delegation arrived in Cairo on Tuesday afternoon for private meetings with senior Egyptian officials, Israel’s Channel 2 reported, citing Turkish news agency Anadolu.
According to the report, the group was headed by attorney Yitzhak Molcho, a close associate of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former chief peace negotiator with the Palestinians.
Due to the secret nature of the meetings, no details save Molcho’s presence in Cairo were released to the press.
The development comes amid reports of strengthening Egyptian-Israeli security and diplomatic relations. Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi in June assigned senior diplomat Hazem Khairat to serve as the country’s first ambassador to Israel in three years. Khairat is expected to arrive in Tel Aviv this fall after Israel confirmed the appointment and welcomed Egypt’s decision.
Khairat belongs to a well-known family of diplomats, and has served as Egypt’s representative to the Arab League, as well as Egypt’s ambassador to Syria and Chile.
He will replace Atef Salam el-Ahl, the last Egyptian ambassador to Jerusalem who was recalled in 2012 by then-president Mohammad Morsi over the war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza. Since that time, the highest-ranking diplomat at the Egyptian embassy in Tel Aviv has been the deputy ambassador.
{Matzav.com Israel}
