An Egyptian court on Wednesday convicted 26 men of planning attacks inside Egypt and of being linked to Lebanese group Hizbollah. Judge Adel Abdel Salam Gomaa of the emergency state security court sentenced the men - who included Lebanese, Palestinians, Egyptians and one Sudanese - to prison terms ranging from six months to 25 years. Egypt's announcement that it detained the men heightened tensions with Hizbollah, a militant group that is now part of the Lebanese government. Last April, Al-Ahram reported that Hizbollah operatives arrested in Egypt had planned to simultaneously strike three tourist hubs in Sinai frequented by Israelis - Taba, Nuweiba and Dahab. The daily reported that the Hizbollah members had also gathered information on the presence of Israeli tourists in the town of Hurghada, which lies on the Red Sea coast. The investigation into Hizbollah activities revealed that the goal of the cell was to undermine stability in Egypt, Al-Ahram reported.
