Egypt prepares to swap prisoners with Israel

Egypt is preparing for a deal to exchange its own nationals jailed in Israel for an Israeli spy suspect who has been detained in Egypt since June, state media said on Thursday. The Egyptian government on Thursday asked its foreign ministry to be responsible for overseeing the exchange of Ilan Grapel, an Israeli-U.S. dual national, for Egyptian prisoners, by taking all the necessary legal measures, official MENA news agency said. 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, the report said. According to a recent report published on Egypt's official Al- Ahram newspaper, Egypt is 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. Egypt has successfully mediated a prisoner swap deal between Israel and the Palestinians. Under the deal, Hamas on Tuesday freed Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit, who had been in captivity in the Gaza Strip since June 2006. In return, Israel freed 477 Palestinian prisoners on the same day and will release 550 more two months later.