The Egyptian flag on the roof of the Egypt embassy in Tel Aviv, next to an Israeli flag from a nearby resident’s balcony, August 20, 2011.

Israel says Egypt has sent a new ambassador after a three-year hiatus.

Israel’s Foreign Ministry said Sunday that the ambassador, Hazem Hairat, arrived on Friday.

Israel and Egypt signed a historic peace accord in 1979, but relations have often been cool.

Egypt withdrew its ambassador in November 2012 to protest an Israeli offensive against Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip.

At the time, Egypt was led by Islamist President Mohammed Mursi. Since Mursi was ousted by the military in 2013, relations have steadily improved.

In September, Israel reopened its embassy in Cairo, four years after it was ransacked by a crowd protesting the deaths of five Egyptian policemen killed unintentionally by Israeli forces chasing a group of Gaza militants.

Related articles across the web

• Israel launches airstrikes on the Gaza Strip
• Rocket fired from Gaza lands near southern Israeli kibbutz
• Gaza Flowers Barred from Export to Europe
• Mideast wart murders Palestinians anew
• Israel strikes Hamas bases in Gaza
• The Sinai Peninsula: A Land of Tourism and Terrorism
• ISRAEL - TURKEY - Israel and Turkey sign preliminary agreement to "normalize" relations
• Turkey, Israel cut reconciliation deal over 2010 raid: Official
• Israel and Turkey reach preliminary deal to restore ties - Israeli official
• Arab Affairs Expert: Israeli Evidence of Hamas-ISIS Ties Leads to Int'l Intelligence Reassessment