Egypt’s intelligence chief, Israeli PM discuss efforts to advance peace process

CAIRO – 18 August 2021: Head of Egypt’s General Intelligence Service (GIS) Abbas Kamel met on Wednesday with Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett and his national security advisor.

This comes as part of Kamel’s visit to the Palestinian and Israeli lands as per the directives of Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, an official statement read.

The meeting discussed the Egyptian efforts to advance the peace process and the procedures to maintain de-escalation in all the Palestinian lands, the statement read.

The two sides also discussed the latest developments of the Egyptian-Israeli relations.

Kamel also met on Wednesday with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, according to an earlier statement, during which they discussed the developments in the Palestinian territories.

Abbas, for his part, hailed the Egyptian efforts, led by President Sisi, to support the Palestinian people.

Kamel conveyed a message of support to the Palestinian cause from Sisi to Abbas, as the intelligence chief arrived in Ramallah in a visit that also includes Tel Aviv.

The visit aims at following up on the Egyptian efforts within the framework of the peace process between the Israeli and Palestinian parties, an official statement read.

Sisi’s message to Abbas affirmed Egypt’s support to the Palestinian cause and efforts to achieve calm and stability in all the Palestinian lands, the statement said.

Kamel’s visit comes within the framework of the Egyptian efforts to boost the peace process sponsored by the Egyptian president.

This is the second time President Sisi has sent Kamel to the Palestinian territories and Israel since May, as Kamel visited the Palestinian and Israeli lands following an Egypt-brokered ceasefire.

Late in May, Israel and the Gaza factions started a ceasefire proposed by Egypt after Israeli airstrikes and artillery fire killed 254 Palestinian people, including women and children.

The Gaza factions also fired rockets at Israeli lands in retaliation for the Israeli assaults against Palestinians in Jerusalem.

Sisi also in May announced allocating $500 million for the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip.

On the first day of his May visit, Kamel met with Palestinian President Abbas, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz.

Later, he inspected the proposed sites to begin the reconstruction initiative of Gaza strip and met with a number of leaders from Hamas.