Israeli official in Cairo for talks on next stage of prisoner swap

An Israeli military official arrived Sunday in Cairo for talks on carrying out the second stage of a prisoner swap deal between Israel and the Palestinian movement Hamas, said sources at Cairo airport, dpa reported.

Israel freed 477 Palestinian prisoners in October in exchange for the kidnapped Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit, in the first stage of the Egyptian-brokered deal that involves the release of a total of 1,027 Palestinians.

"The talks will also deal with the development of the Egyptian-Israeli relations and coopration in preserving security along the joint border of the two countries," added the sources, who declined to identify the Israeli official.

Israel's new ambassador to Egypt, Yaakov Amitai, is to arrive in Cairo on Monday to succeed Yitzhak Levanon, who completed his term last month.

Levanon left Cairo in September following an attack by Egyptians on the Israeli embassy, in the worst crisis in ties between Egypt and Israel since former Egyptian president Hosny Mubarak was ousted in a popular revolt earlier in the year.