Israeli defense officials reportedly are considering offering Egypt a prisoner swap. Under the plan, Israel would trade five Egyptian sailors captured last week aboard a weapons ship in exchange for Azzam Azzam, an Israeli Druse jailed in Egypt for spying, a charge Israel denies. According to the Israeli daily Ha’aretz, defense officials said the Egyptian sailors onboard the ship were not involved in hostile activity against Israel, just as Azzam was not involved in hostile activity against Egypt.
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The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.