Egypt supports efforts to achieve a just and permanent solution between Palestinians and Israelis, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi during his first phone talks with the new Prime Minister of Israel, Naftali Bennett, Reuters reported.

He noted that it is important to continue the Egyptian-backed efforts to rebuild the Gaza Strip.

Bennett's office said in a statement that the Israeli leader thanked Egypt for its role in facilitating a ceasefire that ended the fighting and for mediating in the search for missing or captured Israelis in Gaza.

Egypt and Qatar have pledged $ 500 million each for the reconstruction of Gaza.

Israel says this is only possible if progress is made in efforts to return two soldiers who went missing during the 2014 Gaza war, as well as two civilians. Hamas rejects any link between recovery and the search for missing persons.