Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi departed for Egypt Sunday morning, becoming the first Israeli foreign minister to visit Israel's southern neighbor since 2008.
Ashkenazi thanked his Egyptian counterpart, Sameh Shoukry, for inviting him.
"During the visit, we will hold a number of meetings in which we will discuss bilateral issues, strengthen economic and trade ties, and delve deeper into the mechanisms of the cease-fire with Gaza and the rehabilitation of the Strip through international enforcement," Ashkenazi said.
"During the discussions, I will emphasize to him that Israel is above all committed to returning our soldiers and our citizens held by Hamas."