Israel to check reports of Egyptian soldiers mass grave at Sisi's request

Prime Minister Yair Lapid on Sunday said his office will investigate reports of a mass grave in central Israel that contains the bodies of Egyptian commandos who were killed during the 1967 Six-Day War.

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi brought up the issue in a call after two Israeli newspapers published witness accounts suggesting there was an unmarked grave near Latrun, an area between Jerusalem and Tel Aviv where Israel’s army fought the Egyptian soldiers, Lapid’s office said.

Yediot Aharonot and Haaretz published archival material and interviews with residents recounting how dozens of Egyptian soldiers killed in the battle are buried there.

"The Egyptian president raised the report about the collective grave of Egyptian soldiers during the Six Day War."

Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid

Statement by the Prime Minister's Office

“The Egyptian president raised the report about the collective grave of Egyptian soldiers during the Six Day War,” Lapid’s office said in a statement.

Lapid directed his military secretary “to examine the issue in-depth and to update Egyptian officials,” the statement said.

Lapid and Sisi also discussed bilateral and regional issues and agreed to meet soon.

Sisi wished Lapid good luck in his new role as prime minister and referred to a prior meeting in Cairo when they talked about a variety of subjects.

The two leaders emphasized the importance of the peace agreement between Egypt and Israel, which set the foundation for a strategic relationship and a central pillar of regional stability. They expressed their commitment to deepening relations.

Lapid and Sisi also discussed US President Joe Biden’s upcoming visit to the region and the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.