Egypt's al-Sisi hails Bahrain, Israel normalization

By Alaa Aly

ISTANBUL (AA) - Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi on Friday said he considered the normalization agreement between Israel and Bahrain a step toward peace in the region.

"I value this important step towards establishing stability and peace in the Middle East, and in a way that achieves a just and permanent settlement for the Palestinian cause," al-Sisi tweeted thanking the parties involved in implementing this "historic step".

Israel and Bahrain agreed to establish full diplomatic relations on Friday in a second breakthrough between Israel and its Arab neighbors after it normalized ties with the United Arab Emirates last month.

The latest agreement was finalized during a telephone call between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Bahrain King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, according to a joint US-Bahrain-Israel statement published on Twitter by US President Donald Trump.

The agreement was condemned by Palestinian factions.