Israeli citizen Ofir Harrari, recently accused by Egypt of spying for Israel , was allegedly involved in a complicated scheme intended to harm Egyptian reproduction abilities, Egypt 's official state paper Al-Ahram has claimed.

Harrari, accused by Egypt of being an agent of the Mossad, is set be tried in absentia on charges of "spying for a foreign country with the purpose of harming Egyptian national interest," news agency MENA reported on Sunday.

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"According to the public prosecutor's office's investigation, 'Mossad agent Ofir Harrari' instructed Jordanian Ibrahim abu-Zaid to set up a company in Egypt which would exclusively import an Israeli hair product, for both men and women, which causes infertility. This in order to completely destroy Egyptian reproduction abilities," Al-Ahram states.

The report also asserted that the Mossad supposedly required that abu-Zaid open communications companies in Sudan and Libya, so as to enable Israel to follow communication traffic in both countries.





Egyptian press informs of Ilan Garpel's arrest (Photo: AFP)

On June 12, Egypt arrested US-Israeli dual national Ilan Grapel on suspicion of spying for Israel, which denied any such charge.

Egypt's espionage allegations come at a sensitive time when Israel is trying to understand where Egypt's new temporary regime is headed.

It has been estimated both in Israel and in Egypt that the Egyptian allegations stem from a wish to appease Egyptian demonstrators protesting against the close relations that existed between Jerusalem and Cairo in the pre-uprising days.