The Public Campaign to release Egyptian prisoners in Israel is resuming its efforts to pressuring the Egyptian government to secure the release the rest of Egyptian prisoners held in Israeli prisons. Activist Ahmed Abou Ateiya said the conference held on Saturday is a start pressure for the release of the prisoners. The spokesman of the solidarity with prisoners' families conference, Mustafa al-Atrash, said the Egyptian government neglected Egyptian prisoners in Israel for decades. He added that the government ignored the rights of Egyptian citizens, which prompted them to sell cigarettes on the borders with Israel and consequently led to their arrest and detention in Israel. Al-Atrash criticized the deal conducted with Israel to release 25 Egyptians from Israeli prisons in return for Ilan Garpil, charged with spying for Israel, especially as the Egyptians who have been released spent their punishment in Israeli prisons. He said such a deal does not represent Egypt's January 25 Revolution, calling for completing the revolution to achieve the objectives of the people. Abou-Mosaed Barakat, a representative of the prisoners' families, threatened to escalate the protest and organize a strike on the different routes that link Egypt and Israel if the government does not meet their demands. Activist Saeed Ateek threatened to escalate against Israel if it refused to release the Egyptian prisoners. He blamed the government, which neglected the villages on the borders with Israel, consequently forcing residents to sell cigarettes on the Israeli borders
