Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday held a phone call during which they discussed the attack that took place last Saturday near the Al-Awja border crossing, which killed 3 Israeli soldiers and an Egyptian policeman.
The Egyptian presidency said in a statement that it was stressed during the phone call the importance of full coordination to uncover all the circumstances of the incident.
The statement added that the two sides affirmed their determination to "continue to work and coordinate in the context of bilateral relations, strive for a just and comprehensive peace, and maintain stability in the region."
In contrast, the Israeli Prime Minister's Office said in a statement that Netanyahu thanked Sisi for his commitment to a thorough and joint investigation, adding that the Egyptian president also expressed condolences for those killed in the attack.
Israel's state broadcaster reported that the Israeli prime minister and the Egyptian president affirmed their commitment to continue promoting peace and security cooperation between the two countries.
In a speech on Sunday during a cabinet meeting, Netanyahu described the operation carried out by 22-year-old Egyptian policeman Mohamed Salah as "terrorist" and the incident "serious," saying that Israel had sent a clear message to the Egyptian government and expects the joint investigation to be comprehensive and detailed.
Yesterday, Israel handed Salah's body to Egyptian authorities, who informed Tel Aviv after the attack that they were not aware of his intentions, according to Israeli media.
Pending the conclusion of the IDF investigation, preliminary investigations revealed that the perpetrator had planned each step in advance, and that he had penetrated approximately 1.5 kilometres into Israeli territory before killing two Israeli soldiers at a guard post, then clashing with an Israeli force and killing a third soldier before being killed.
Hours after the operation, the Egyptian military spokesman gave an account that Israeli soldiers were killed in a clash while an Egyptian security man chased a drug smuggler at the al-Awja crossing, but Israeli officials rejected this account.