People extinguish a fire from a blast outside the National Cancer Institute in Cairo, Egypt, Aug. 4, 2019. Photo: Reuters / Shokry Hussien.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned on Monday an attack in the Egyptian capital of Cairo in which 20 people were killed.

“Last night, terrorists detonated a car bomb near a hospital in central Cairo, killing 20 and wounding dozens of innocent Egyptians,” the Israeli leader said. “We extend our heartfelt condolences to the families of the innocent victims, and wish a speedy recovery to the injured.”

“We stand by the Egyptian people in their battle against terrorism,” Netanyahu emphasized.

In 1979, Egypt became the first Arab country to ink a peace deal with Israel (as part of which the Sinai Peninsula — which had been taken control of by Israel during the 1967 Six-Day War — was given back), though the relationship has at times been strained over the years, particularly when there have been outbursts of violence in the unresolved Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Ties have steadily improved since President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi took power in Cairo in 2013, after ousting his predecessor, Mohamed Morsi, an Islamist affiliated with the Muslim Brotherhood.

Israel and Egypt share a number of regional interests — including the containment of Iran and combating ISIS.

However, normalization of the relationship with Israel remains a sensitive topic for much of the Egyptian public.

Sisi met with Netanyahu in New York on the sidelines of a UN General Assembly session in September 2017.