Cairo, Egypt – An Israeli envoy arrived in Cairo on Wednesday to discuss an exchange of prisoners between the two countries, according to sources at Cairo airport.
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The exchange would see Egypt hand over Auda Trabin, an Israeli man who has been imprisoned in Egypt for 13 years since his conviction on charges of spying for Israel. The release would be in return for 65 Egyptians held by Israel, added the sources, who declined to name the Israeli visitor.
In October, Egypt swapped Ilan Grapel, a dual Israeli-American citizen also charged with spying, for 25 Egyptians jailed in Israel.
The Israeli official is also expected to discuss the security situation on the Israeli-Egyptian border and a possible new site for the Israeli embassy in Cairo, which was attacked by angry Egyptian protesters in September.
Egypt was the first Arab country to sign a peace treaty with Israel in 1979.
But their relations suffered one of their worst crises in August when six Egyptian border police soldiers were killed in an Israeli airstrike that Israel said was meant to target Palestinian militants. dpa str pog raf ncs