Ilan Grapel

Report: Israeli official informs Grapel of pending release

Egyptian newspaper reports Israeli, US delegates visit imprisoned US-Israeli citizen held in Cairo on espionage charges, telling him he will be freed soon

Ynet|Published: 10.20.11 , 10:39

Israeli and United States officials visited Ilan Grapel, a dual US-Israeli national who is held in Cairo on espionage charges, and informed him he will be released soon, Egyptian newspaper reported on Wednesday.

According to the report, a judicial source in Egypt claimed Grapel's case will be presented before the country's Supreme Court on security matters.

'Egypt slaps Grapel with new charges'

On Sunday, Egyptian newspaper al-Ahram reported that Grapel will be released in exchange for 81 Egyptian prisoners as part of a deal between Jerusalem and Cairo.

According to the paper, the deal for Grapel's release was inspired by the success of the Egyptian mediation between Israel and Hamas on the Gilad Shalit issue and Israel's apology over the deaths of five Egyptian officers on the border.

Grapel, who was arrested last June, was charged with incitement and espionage last Tuesday. He was also accused of encouraging locals to burn government buildings.

Grapel immigrated to Israel from the US and served as a lone soldier in the Paratroopers' 101 Battalion. He enlisted in the IDF in March 2005 and was injured during the Second Lebanon War. He had been traveling in Egypt at the time of the popular revolution. Local media claimed Grapel was a Mossad agent.

Earlier this month, a senior Egyptian element admitted that Grapel was not a spy.