) Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, on Tuesday mourned the death of former Egyptian President Hosny Mubarak, calling him “my personal friend”.
Netanyahu in a statement released by his office expressed deep sorrow on behalf of the Israeli government and its citizens.
“Mubarak, my personal friend, was a leader who led his people to peace and security, to peace with Israel.
“I met with (Mubarak) many times. I was impressed by his commitment; we will continue to follow this common path,” Netanyahu said.
Egypt became the first Arab country to sign a peace treaty with neighbouring Israel in 1979, when Mubarak was Egypt’s vice president.
However, relations between the two countries still remain frosty.
Similarly, Mubarak, who was ousted in a 2011 uprising after 30 years in power, died on Tuesday aged 91, his son said.
“We belong to God and to Him we shall return. My father, president Mubarak, passed away this morning,” Mubarak’s older son, Alaa, wrote on Twitter.
The tweet was accompanied by a video of a speech in which Mubarak speaks of his “pride to have served the country for many years … and defended its interests and sovereignty.
Alaa’s confirmation came after both state television and the Egyptian presidency reported the former president’s death.
On Saturday, Alaa said that Mubarak was in intensive care, around a month after he underwent surgery.
Along with his two sons, Mubarak was convicted in a corruption case related to embezzling state money and served three years in prison.
The toppled president was last seen in public in December 2018 when he appeared at a Cairo court and testified in the trial of his successor Mohammed Morsi.
The Egyptian presidency extended its condolences to Mubarak’s family, describing him as “one of the leaders and heroes” of the 1973 war against Israel, during which Mubarak was the head of the Air Force.
A source within the family said that the funeral will be held on Wednesday in Cairo.
– NAN
