In exchange for Israeli-American Ilan Grapel, Egypt asked for F16 fighter jets from the United States in addition to the release of Egyptian prisoners in Israel, according to Israeli newspaper Yediot Ahronot. The United States rejected such propositions due to Israeli pressure when Egypt was under the rule of ousted leader Hosni Mubarak, accordzing to the paper. The U.S. agreed to the deal after Israeli approval this time, however, as part of the swap for Grapel, wrote Yediot Ahronot's political affairs reporter, Roy Nheimas. An Egyptian official confirmed to global news agencies that Egypt asked to buy F16s from the U.S. as part of the Grapel deal, Nheimas added.
