Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi attends the Arab summit in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, May 31, 2019. Photo: REUTERS/Hamad l Mohammed/File Photo.

i24News – Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi on Sunday, where al-Sisi congratulated Netanyahu on the establishment of the new government.

The latest ruling coalition headed by Netanyahu, who was Israel’s prime minister for three years in the 1990s and from 2009 to 2021, was sworn in last week after a conclusive victory by the right-wing bloc in the general election held in November.

According to a statement from Netanyahu’s office, “the two leaders expressed their desire to promote bilateral relations between Egypt and Israel on all levels, including in references to developments in the international and regional arenas.”

Additionally, they emphasized the importance of promoting peace, stability and security for the benefit of the two peoples and for all the peoples of the Middle East.

The two countries enjoy friendly ties, united by mutual security concerns over jihadists in the Sinai peninsula and the Iran-backed terrorist groups Hamas and the Islamic Jihad in the Gaza Strip, a Palestinian enclave both countries share borders with. During all the recent escalations between Israel and Gaza-based terrorists, Egypt brokered between the two sides to secure cessations of hostilities.