Egypt's intelligence chief on Wednesday paid a rare visit to Israel to discuss the ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas that followed Operation Guardian of the Walls in May, Israel announced.
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Prime Minister Naftali Bennett's office said Egyptian official Abbas Kamel also invited Bennett to visit Egypt in the coming weeks.
Egypt has played a key mediation role between Israel and Hamas over the years. Israel and Hamas have fought four wars since Hamas took control of Gaza in 2007, a year after winning Palestinian elections.
Since the end of the May fighting, the sides appear to have reached no agreements beyond a halt in active hostilities.
Hamas demands an easing in an Israeli-Egyptian blockade that has crippled the local economy and the resumption of hundreds of millions of dollars of badly needed assistance from Qatar. Israel has demanded the return of the remains of Lt. Hadar Goldin and Staff Sgt. Oron Shaul, who were killed in Operation Protective Edge in 2014 and two Israeli civilians, Avera Mengistu and Hisham al-Sayed, believed to be held by Hamas.
In recent weeks, Hamas has allowed operatives to send arson balloons into Israel. This week, a rocket was fired into Israel, although Hamas blamed the Palestinian Islamic Jihad. However, Israel sees Hamas as responsible for events in the Gaza Strip.
Bennett, who often accused former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of being too soft on Hamas, came under criticism Wednesday for the show of restraint for not responding to the rocket. But at a news conference, he defended his decision, saying he would not allow Israel's enemies to determine its actions.
"We will react in the time, place and conditions that suit us," he said.
Bennett's office gave few details about Wednesday's talks with Kamel, saying they focused on mutual security and economic issues as well as "Egyptian mediation in the Gaza security situation."
Bennett said Kamel extended an invitation on behalf of Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi. He gave no further details.
Kael also met with Defense Minister Benny Gantz to discuss ways of bolstering regional security, Israel and Egypt's war on terrorism, and the importance of maintaining the two countries' shared defense and security interests.
Gantz expressed his appreciation for Egypt's "positive activity" in the region and stressed that Israel placed great importance on a long-term ceasefire with Hamas, as well as the return of its missing fallen soldiers and captive civilians.
Later Wednesday, Kamel visited Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas in the West Bank.
Abbas' office said that he and Kamel "reviewed the latest developments in the Palestinian territories, and ways to strengthen bilateral relations and achieve stability and peace in the region."
Meanwhile, following Kamel's visit, the National Security Council on Wednesday announced that it had dropped the terrorist threat warning in place for the Sinai Peninsula and Sharm e-Sheikh.
The message said that the threat level had been lowered from 1 – the highest – to 3, but stressed that northern Sinai remained under a level 1 travel warning. The National Security Council stressed that all COVID regulations remained in place and recommended that Israelis avoid travel abroad.
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