Egypt-Israel swap deal for detainees soon

Egypt and Israel are expected to soon ink a swap deal in which 19 detained Egyptians, including three children, in Israel, will be exchanged for an Israeli-U.S. dual national held in Egypt, official MENA news agency said on Saturday.

But state-run Nile TV said on Saturday 28 Egyptian prisoners would be exchanged in the deal. The Egyptian government Thursday asked its foreign ministry to be responsible for overseeing the exchange of Ilan Grapel, whom Egypt has accused of spying and inciting chaos in Egypt, for Egyptian prisoners, without mentioning the number of Egyptians to be exchanged, according to MENA.

The Egyptian foreign ministry would maintain coordination with the security bodies concerned to take all measures necessary to bring home the Egyptians held in Israeli jails. According to a recent report on Egypt's official Al-Ahram newspaper, Egypt was mulling swapping Grapel for 81 Egyptians detained in the Jewish state over charges such as illegal entry to Israel, drug trafficking and arms possession.

Grapel was arrested by Egyptian security authorities in a hotel in downtown Cairo on June 12.

He was accused of spying on Egypt with the aim of harming its economic and political interests, and sowing sectarian strife and chaos during the massive anti-regime protest which toppled ex-president Hosni Mubarak in February. But Israel denied all these charges.