The Israeli Prison Service has begun transferring the Egyptian detainees to be exchanged under a prisoner swap deal that will see 27-year-old US-Israeli dual citizen Ilan Grapel traded for 25 Egyptian nationals imprisoned by the Hebrew state, Israel Radio reported on Wednesday.
Twenty-two of the Egyptian prisoners were transferred to a detention centre in Beersheba, Israel on Wednesday, where they will remain until the deal goes through, Israel Radio added.
Three Egyptian minors, meanwhile, will remain in Israel’s Tel Mond Prison until the exchange takes place on Thursday morning at the Taba border crossing between Egypt and Israel.
Once Grapel is delivered to his family in Eilat, Egyptian security officials will begin handing Egyptian prisoners over to their families, Israel Radio quoted an Egyptian security source in the Sinai Peninsula as saying.
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