Israel and Egypt agreed on Wednesday to expand direct flights between the two countries, adding a new route between Ben-Gurion International Airport and the Sharm el-Sheikh resort at the southern tip of the Sinai Peninsula.
The agreement was discussed at the meeting between Prime Minister Naftali Bennett and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi in Sharm el-Sheikh last September. It was formulated by Israel and Egypt over the past few days and finalized on Tuesday in Egypt by an Israeli delegation led by the Israeli Security Agency (ISA), following a long process carried out with the National Security Council and additional officials, together with the Egyptian government.
The new route from Ben-Gurion International Airport to Sharm el-Sheikh will open soon; flights are expected to begin during the intermediate days of Passover in April.
Prime Minister Bennett said: “This agreement will further warm the relations between Israel and Egypt. The cooperation between our two countries is expanding in many fields, and this is contributing to both peoples and to regional stability. Israel is opening up to the countries of the region and the basis for this long-standing recognition is the peace between Israel and Egypt. Therefore, on both sides, we need to invest in strengthening this connection – and that’s what we are doing. I thank the Israeli Security Agency for taking the lead on formulating the security outline that will enable this route to open.”
On July 23, 2005, a terrorist attack took place in Sharm el-Sheikh, which included two car bombs and an explosive suitcase. There were about 90 dead and 200 wounded, including Israeli tourists.
