Families of 25 Egyptian prisoners, to be freed Thursday in a swap deal with Israel, have prepared lavish banquets to celebrate the handover of their relatives at the Egyptian border crossing of Taba, the independent newspaper Al Masry Al Youm reported.
The prisoners, including three minors, are to be released in exchange for Ilan Grapel, a dual Israeli-American national held in Egypt since June on espionage charges, DPA reported.
The prisoners' families have pitched camps and invited tribal people in Egypt's Sinai Peninsula to attend the welcome ceremony, added the report.
The paper quoted unidentified sources as saying that Grapel had already been taken to Taba for the handover expected Thursday afternoon.