An Egyptian security official revealed to Ahram Online that Israel has agreed to release 30 Egyptian prisoners in exchange for alleged Israeli spy Ilan Grapel.

The source added that the prisoners swap deal would be finalised in the coming days, but refused to give an exact date of when the deal would be implemented.

According to same source, at least 81 Egyptians are detained in Israel, but only 30 would be released as Tel Aviv insists that Egypt should release convicted Israeli spy Awada Trabin in exchange for all Egyptian prisoners.

Trabin was sentenced to 15 years in jail while Grapel, who has been in custody since 12 June, is accused of being an agent of Israel’s Mossad intelligence agency and of sowing sectarian strife and chaos in Egypt during the uprising that ousted president Hosni Mubarak in February.

National security expert Sameh Seif El-Yazel told Ahram Online that the US administration backs the prisoners swap deal with between Egypt and Israel, adding that Washington promised Cairo to approve all pending military arms deals upon successful conclusion.