Israel-Lebanon border
Israel-Lebanon borderIsrael news photo: Haggai Huberman

Lebanese judicial officials said on Tuesday that a former army general has been sentenced to two years in prison for giving information to Israel, The Associated Press reported.

Tuesday’s sentence of former Brig. Gen. Fayez Karam, who has been in prison since mid-2009, means he will spend six more months in jail.

In September, Karam was found guilty of contacting Israeli intelligence and leaking information, mainly on the Hizbullah terror group and its ally, the Christian Free Patriotic Movement.” At the time he was sentenced to two years and Tuesday's ruling upheld that sentence.

However, the court exonerated him of charges of spying for Israel.

Lebanon often arrests local citizens and charges them with spying for the Jewish State. In October of 2010 more than 30 Lebanese citizens were convicted on charges of collaborating with Israel and becoming citizens of the Jewish State. All received 15-year prison terms.

At least five people have been sentenced to death in Lebanon after being convicted on charges of spying for Israel.

More than 100 Lebanese citizens – including a number of highly-placed military officials – have been arrested by authorities on suspicion of spying for Israel over the past several years. 

A few weeks ago, a former employee with the Lebanese state-run telecoms operator Ogero was charged with spying for Israel.