Israeli embassy staff to return to Cairo this evening without ambassador

Staff members at the Israeli Embassy in Cairo will arrive here Monday evening without the Israeli Ambassador to Egypt Yaakov Amitai, well-placed sources at Cairo International Airport said. The Israeli ambassador did not return to Egypt for the third consecutive week. The Israeli Embassy in Cairo had notified the airport to open the VIP lounge to receive Amitai who will arrive from Tel Aviv, but later said that he has decided to postpone his arrival, sources said. The staff members, led by General Consul Juda Golan, will arrive on board a Jordanian flight today evening, added the sources. The source denied reports on a crisis in Egyptian-Israeli relations, saying the ambassador has not returned to his post over the past two weeks due to the Jewish holidays and was absent for the third week due to the illness of his father, the source added.