TABA - Egyptians gathered at the border with Israel on Thursday awaiting the handover of prisoners to be exchanged for an American-Israeli man held by Egypt and accused of spying. Israel will swap 25 jailed Egyptians for Ilan Grapel, 27, who was detained in Egypt in June on accusations he was out to recruit agents and monitor events in the revolt that toppled Hosni Mubarak, an ally of Israel and the United States. Israel, whose relations with Egypt have been strained since the uprising, denied the charges. The US-brokered exchange deal was reached shortly after a successful Egyptian-brokered swap between Israel and Hamas Islamists that freed captive Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit in exchange for more than 1,000 Palestinian prisoners. Grapel is expected to be flown from Cairo to Tel Aviv, while the Egyptians, mostly from Sinai, are due to be released through the border crossing next to the Egyptian Red Sea resort of Taba. The exchange is scheduled for Thursday afternoon. "We just want to see our brother. It is a good thing from Egypt to work on freeing them," said Mohamed el-Swarky, whose brother, Ashraf Abdallah, 18, is one of those to be released.