The Egyptian Minister of Petroleum and Minirals Tarek El-Molla arrived Sunday for meetings with President Reuven Rivlin, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi, in the first Egyptian ministerial visit in five years.
Minister Tarek El-Molla will also travel to Ramallah for talks with Palestinian leaders and is later expected to meet with representatives of Israeli energy companies.
According to recent media reports Israel had requested help from the Egyptian government to secure the release of two dead IDF soldiers and two Israeli civilians believed held by Hamas in Gaza.