JERUSALEM – Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu paid a rare, secretvisit to Egypt in May for talks with President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi on aceasefire in the Gaza Strip, Israeli television reported Monday.

There was no immediate confirmation of the visit from official sources, butthe private Channel 10 station said the leaders met on May 22.

That followed a day of huge protests on May 14 along the Gaza borderagainst the opening of the US embassy in Jerusalem, sparking clashes whichleft 63 Palestinians dead.

Gaza lies between Israel and Egypt, which has previously mediated betweenNetanyahu s government and the Islamist Hamas movement that controls thecoastal enclave.

According to American sources quoted by Channel 10, Netanyahu and Sisidiscussed the possibility of a long-term truce in the Strip, where Israelhas since 2008 fought three wars with Hamas.

The Islamists seized power in the territory after a virtual civil war withthe Fatah movement of Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas, and Gaza has beenunder a crushing Israeli blockade for a decade.

Netanyahu and Sisi also examined the possible return of the PalestinianAuthority to the territory, an easing of Israel s blockade andreconstruction of Gaza s war-scarred infrastructure, the report said.

The Egyptian presidency was not immediately available to comment on theChannel 10 report.

Gaza has seen mass protests since the end of March as Palestinians demandthe right to return to homes their families fled or were expelled from in1948 during the war surrounding the creation of Israel.

Israeli Defence Minister Avigdor Lieberman said Monday that another roundof fighting between Israel and Palestinian militants in Gaza wasinevitable, despite attempts to reach a long-term truce.

There have also been three major military flare-ups between Israel andHamas since July, on top of the months of tension along the border.

At least 169 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli fire since March 30,mostly during clashes sparked by demonstrations.

One Israeli soldier was shot dead by a Palestinian sniper in July.

There have been efforts by United Nations officials and Egypt to secure along-term truce between Israel and Hamas, though Israeli officials have notcommented on them.

A fragile truce came into effect Thursday night, mediated by Egypt and theUN, according to a source close to the negotiations.

Thursday saw extensive Israeli air strikes in retaliation for the launchingof more than 180 rockets and mortar rounds by Hamas and its alliesbeginning on Wednesday night. – APP/AFP