Egypt's President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi and Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt on Monday (Photo: Egyptian Presidency)
Egypt’s President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi discussed on Monday the latest developments concerning the peace process in the Middle East with Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett in the Egyptian city of Sharm El-Sheikh, the Egyptian presidency said.
President El-Sisi asserted Egypt’s support for all efforts to achieve peace in the Middle East based on the two-state solution and international resolutions in a way that contributes to ensuring security and prosperity in the region.
El-Sisi also mentioned the importance of international support for the Egyptian reconstruction efforts in the Palestinian territories as well as the necessity of maintaining the truce between the Palestinians and Israelis.
According to the Israeli PM office’s statement on the meeting, Bennett expressed his appreciation for the warm reception he received at Sharm El-Sheikh, adding that the Egyptian role is important in the region and that after four decades, the Egyptian-Israeli peace treaty has been the corner of security and stability in the region.
During the talks, according to the official statement issued by the Israeli PM office, Bennett asserted the role Egypt plays to keep the security stability in Gaza and to find a solution for the Israeli POWs and missing soldiers.
El-Sisi and Bennett also discussed Egyptian-Israeli bilateral relations in all fields in addition to the latest developments regionally and internationally, according to the Egyptian presidency.
Both leaders spoke as well about the latest developments concerning the dispute over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD).
“We spoke about the GERD issue and we found out that there is a joint understanding as we try to solve this issue through talks and negotiations to reach for an agreement,” El-Sisi said in media statements that the Egyptian presidency aired in a video on its YouTube channel Monday evening.
The meeting was attended by Egypt’s Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry, Egyptian General Intelligence Service Chief Abbas Kamel, head of the Israeli National Security Council Eyal Hulata, Military Secretary to the Israeli PM Avi Gil, Senior Advisor to the Israeli PM Shimrit Meir, and Israeli ambassador to Cairo Amira Oron.
Earlier in May, an Egypt-sponsored ceasefire deal was reached between Israel and Palestinian factions to end an 11-day Israeli military aggression on the Gaza Strip.
The 11-day assault by Israel was deemed the most vicious since 2014, with Israel launching artillery and air strikes in response to rocket attacks on Israeli towns from the Strip, which is controlled by Hamas.
The Israeli offensive killed more than 250 Palestinians, including 66 children, left more than 1,900 injured, and destroyed hundreds of commercial and residential buildings, while the death toll in Israel stood at 13.
This is the first visit by Bennett to Egypt as prime minister, as well as the first visit by an Israeli prime minister in general to Egypt, since 2011.
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