Israel edges closer to peace talks in Cairo

The visit of Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry to Jerusalem on Sunday, the first such trip in nine years, was a sign of the intensifying relations between the two countries on a wide range of issues.

Mr Shoukry's meetings with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu were officially focused on Egypt's offer to host direct talks between Israel and the Palestinian Authority in Cairo, but they also discussed other regional matters.

Mr Shoukry's visit to Israel was preceded by a trip two weeks earlier to Ramallah, where he met Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. Egypt is proposing a "working group" along with Jordan in which the Israelis and Palestinians can meet and work on confidence-building measures. While the Palestinians have agreed in principle to take part in the group, it is still unclear whether they will agree to direct talks with Israel in Cairo before Israel agrees to their demands for a settlement building freeze and the release of Palestinian prisoners.

Since the 2013 military coup in Egypt, ties between Israel and the regime of President Abdel-Fattah al-Sissi have continued to improve. The two governments have worked together on fighting the Daesh affiliate in Sinai - including, reportedly, a deal to let Israeli drones strike jihadi targets - and on dealing with Hamas in Gaza.