Reports on Preparations for Netanyahu’s Visit to Egypt to Finalize a Major Gas Agreement
The Times of Israel newspaper reported that preparations are underway for a planned visit by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to Cairo, aimed at signing an agreement to supply Egypt with natural gas worth several billion dollars.
The newspaper cited a senior U.S. diplomatic source who stated that Israeli teams have been working for days to coordinate the visit in cooperation with officials from the U.S. administration. According to the source, Netanyahu aims to achieve a political and media gain ahead of the upcoming Israeli elections.
The report also mentioned that Netanyahu might meet with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi to finalize the agreement. However, the Israeli Prime Minister’s office stated that it “has no knowledge of such a visit.”
These reports come alongside American efforts to organize a trilateral summit involving U.S. President Donald Trump, President el-Sisi, and Netanyahu in Florida this December. Israeli Ambassador to Washington, Ron Dermer, is reportedly coordinating communications related to this summit.
Egyptian-Israeli relations have been strained since the outbreak of the Gaza War in October 2023, leading to a decrease in official communications between the two sides, except for security coordination on the hostages issue. There have also been disagreements regarding the management of the Rafah crossing, Egypt’s refusal to accept refugees from Gaza, and discussions about Egypt’s participation in the proposed international stabilization force.
According to the newspaper, the agreement being worked on is one of the largest economic cooperation projects between the two countries, with a value that could reach $35 billion. However, it has sparked controversy within the Israeli government, with Energy Minister Eli Cohen warning that increasing gas exports could affect Israel’s reserves and energy security. He emphasized that he would not approve the deal until outstanding issues with Egypt are resolved.
