Top Israeli Defense Official Visits Egypt Amid Gaza Mediation Efforts
Israel's National Security Council announces that the level of terrorism threats off the coast of the Sinai Peninsula and the resort town of Sharm el-Sheikh had dropped from level one – meaning high-risk – to level three
A senior Israeli defense official visited Egypt on Wednesday amid efforts to promote reconstruction in the Gaza Strip and negotiate a long-term arrangement to prevent violence.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Naftali Bennett and Defense Minister Benny Gantz met in Israel with the head of Egyptian intelligence, Abbas Kamel. He invited Bennett to visit Egypt sometime in the new few weeks.
According to the defense minister's bureau, Gantz and Kamel discussed the need to strengthen regional stability, jointly combating terrorism, and the importance of protect mutual security interests.
Gantz asked Kamel to extend his thanks to Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sissi for Cairo's actions in the region, and to convey how important it is for Israel to achieve long-term peace in southern Israel and promote a solution to the issue of prisoners and soldiers' remains held in the Gaza Strip.
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Following the meetings, the Israel's National Security Council announced that the level of terrorism threats off the coast of the Sinai Peninsula and the resort town of Sharm el-Sheikh had dropped from level one – meaning high-risk – to level three. However, the risk level in the northern Sinai remains at one.