Ashkenazi set to visit Egypt in 1st trip by Israeli foreign minister in 13 years

Zionist regime's Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi was set Sunday to fly to Cairo for talks with his Egyptian counterpart Sameh Shoukry, Israeli media reported.

It is the first time in almost 13 years that an Israeli foreign minister visits Egypt, with Tzipi Livni the last to do so in December 2008.

The talks will reportedly deal with strengthening the bilateral ties as well as efforts to bolster the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas following an 11-day round of intense fighting earlier this month in and around the Gaza Strip.

Also on Sunday, the head of the Egyptian intelligence service Abbas Kamel will reportedly arrive in Israel for talks with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and National Security Adviser Meir Ben-Shabbat, as well as other senior security officials.

Kamel will also visit Ramallah to meet with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas before he travels to Gaza for further talks on stabilizing the ceasefire, the reports said.

On Saturday, the London-based Al-Araby Al-Jadeed newspaper reported that Egypt had notified Hamas that Israel says any long-term truce negotiations must include the subject of a prisoner exchange between the sides.