Egypt expects to swap US-Israeli dual national Ilan Grapel, detained in June on spying charges, for Egyptian prisoners held in Israel, an Egyptian security source said on Monday.

The swap would take place after Israel completes a separate prisoner exchange with Hamas involving Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit, but the two cases are not linked, the source told Reuters.

'After the Shalit deal is done, there will be an arrangement to swap Grapel for a number of Egyptian prisoners in Israeli prisons,' the source said. 'But the two deals are separate and not linked.'

The United States embassy in Cairo had no immediate comment on the Grapel case.-Reuters