CAIRO: Lebanese sources have reported the arrest of an Egyptian citizen who has allegedly confessed to spying for Israel, Iran's Press TV reported on Monday. The man, identified as Ibrahim S. was said to have been arrested carrying espionage equipment including a satellite device and an Israel SIM card. The man's wife, a Lebanese national, was reportedly also detained on suspicion of being involved in the spying activities for Israel's Mossad. Ibrahim, 55, has lived in Hasbaya, southeast Lebanon, for the past 20 years. He was apprehended on Saturday and is currently under interrogation, Press TV added. Bikyamasr.com could not independently verify the report. “Security sources said Ibrahim crossed into Israel during the 1982 Israeli invasion of Lebanon and worked there for years,” reported the news network. In April 2009, Lebanon, which has technically been in a state of war with Israel, launched a nationwide crackdown on Israeli spy cells arresting nearly 100 people, including members of the country's security forces and telecommunications personnel, on suspicion of espionage for Mossad. A number of the suspects have admitted to their role in helping Israel identify targets inside Lebanon, mostly belonging to Hezbollah, which Tel Aviv heavily bombed during its 2006 war against the country. The most high-profile arrest came in August after Fayez Karam, a former army general and Christian Party politician, was charged with spying for Israel. Karam, who was in charge of the Lebanese army's anti-terrorism and counter-espionage unit in the 1980s, has been accused of meeting Mossad agents outside Lebanon and giving them information in exchange for money and weapons. If convicted, the alleged spies could face life sentences with hard labor. Should they be found guilty of contributing to the loss of Lebanese lives, the alleged spies could face the death penalty. BM
