Egyptian ambassador returns to Israel, over 3 years after envoy withdrawn to protest Gaza war

Published January 03, 2016

Israel says Egypt has sent a new ambassador after a three-year hiatus.

Israel's Foreign Ministry said Sunday that the ambassador, Hazem Hairat, arrived on Friday.

Israel and Egypt signed a historic peace accord in 1979, but relations have often been cool.

Egypt withdrew its ambassador in November 2012 to protest an Israeli offensive against Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip. At the time, Egypt was led by Islamist President Mohammed Morsi. Since Morsi was ousted by the military in 2013, relations have steadily improved.

In September, Israel reopened its embassy in Cairo, four years after it was ransacked by a crowd protesting the deaths of five Egyptian policemen killed unintentionally by Israeli forces chasing a group of Gaza militants.

URL

https://www.foxnews.com/world/egyptian-ambassador-returns-to-israel-over-3-years-after-envoy-withdrawn-to-protest-gaza-war