Egypt to Send Ambassador to Israel for First Time Since 2012

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Sisi appointed the former deputy foreign minister as a new ambassador to Israel on Sunday, after Egypt had pulled out its representative from Israel over the 2012 Gaza conflict, Israeli media reported Sunday.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — Diplomatic ties between Egypt and Israel have been strained over the attack on Gaza, a Palestinian exclave of more than a million that had been governed by Hamas since 2007.

The previous envoy was withdrawn from Israel following its military operation against the Gaza Strip, codenamed the Pillar of Defense.

Veteran diplomat Hazem Khairat is likely to be sent to Tel Aviv in September 2015, the Haaretz newspaper said, adding Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hailed the appointment as a step toward peace.