Israel gave Egypt a list of 81 Egyptian prisoners held in Israel
to be released in exchange for Ilan Grapel, according to Egyptian newspaper Al-Youm Al-Sabeh, Army Radio reported early Saturday morning.
According
to the report, Egyptian ambassador to Israel Yasser Reda, who was
appointed as an intermediary between the parties, provided the list to
the Egyptian Foreign Office.
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Grapel's
release will reportedly take place soon, as part of an additional stage
of the deal for Gilad Schalit's release, who returned home on Tuesday
after more than five years of captivity in Gaza under Hamas.
Egypt said on Thursday it was preparing to swap US-Israeli dual
national Ilan Grapel, who was detained in June on spying charges, for
Egyptian prisoners held in Israel.
Grapel, 27, was arrested in
Egypt on accusations he was a spy out to recruit agents and monitor
events in the revolt that overthrew president Hosni Mubarak, an ally of
both the United States and Israel. Grapel has not faced trial yet.
US
Defense Secretary Leon Panetta called on Egypt this month to release
Grapel but denied he was involved in direct negotiations over the
matter."In response to the demands of the families of Egyptian prisoners held
in Israel, the cabinet has decided that the Foreign Ministry coordinate
with all the concerned security entities to take the necessary steps to
return those prisoners to their homeland," cabinet spokesman Mohamed
Hegazy said.
"This includes the exchange of the accused Ilan Grapel with those prisoners and taking the necessary legal steps involved."
Grapel's mother said at the time of his arrest that her son, a law
student in the United States, was working for Saint Andrew's Refugee
Services, a non-governmental organization, in Cairo.
Grapel emigrated to Israel in 2005 from New York and served in the IDF during the 2006 Lebanon War.
Over the years, Egypt has arrested a number of people accused of spying for Israel.