Israel and Egypt agree prisoner swap

Convicted Israeli spy Ouda Tarabin is to be set free under an agreement between Egypt and Israel in exchange for 83 Egyptians being held by Tel Aviv. A report on Radio Israel revealed details of the swap deal in which Israel’s readiness to release all of the Egyptians in its jails was made clear. Tarabin has been imprisoned in Egypt for 11 years after being convicted of spying on behalf of the Israeli spy agency Mossad.

According to Egypt’s daily newspaper Al-Ahram, an Israeli security official visited Cairo last week and met with a number of his Egyptian counterparts to discuss security developments as well as the swap deal. The Israeli envoy made a formal request to the Egyptian government to deliver Tarabin in exchange for all Egyptians behind bars in Israel, a total of 83 detainees.

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Maj. Gen. Sameh Seif El Yazal, a strategic expert and head of the Gomhouria Centre for Political and Security Studies, confirmed that the Egyptians are still considering Israel’s request. He added that a list of all Egyptian prisoners being held in Israel has been submitted to Tel Aviv for consideration as part of the prisoner swap.