Israel's Ambassador to Cairo, Yitzhak Levanon, said that the contacts between Egypt and Israel that facilitated the prisoner exchange between Israel and Hamas would support ties between the two countries after relations deteriorated, according to the Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth. The newspaper reported that Levanon hoped that the two countries would restore their good relations. It added that the Israeli ambassador has not returned to Cairo since demonstrators stormed the Israeli Embassy last month. The Israeli ambassador expressed his readiness to return to Cairo as long as the embassy's diplomatic staff is protected.