Shipping the contents of the Israeli Embassy in Cairo back to Israel was a “routine” measure and does not mean that Ambassador Yaakov Amitai is going to leave Cairo permanently, sources at the Egyptian Foreign Ministry told Al-Masry Al-Youm on Wednesday.
Reuters reported Tuesday that Israel had requested to send two airplanes to evacuate some contents from its Cairo embassy. “It was not clear whether or not the move would also involve evacuating staff,” the news agency reported.
Earlier this month, the Arab Affairs Committee of the People’s Assembly called for expelling the Israeli ambassador after recent Israeli raids on the Gaza Strip which left at least 20 people dead.
The Foreign Ministry sources stressed that the planes were requested to transport the personal items of employees who had worked in the embassy before it was raided by protesters last September.
“This is a routine request that is made by any diplomat abroad after ending his mandate,” the sources said.
The same sources added that the embassy is now staffed by four people: the ambassador, the caretaker ambassador, an administrative officer and one secretary.
The embassy building was closed after protesters raided it in September following an Israeli border raid that killed six Egyptian security officers.
Translated from Al-Masry Al-Youm
