Arrest Warrant against Lebanese who Contacted Israel, Provided Information on Arad

Military Examining Magistrate Imad al-Zain issued an arrest warrant on Monday against a Lebanese citizen on charges of contacting Israel.

G.M. is accused of providing Israel with information on missing Israeli military airman Ron Arad.

Arad, an Israeli air force navigator, went missing after he ejected from an F-4 Phantom fighter-bomber during Lebanon's 1975-90 civil war.

He was allegedly captured by the Shiite movement AMAL, headed by Nabih Berri, now parliament speaker.

Israel engaged in lengthy negotiations for the release of the airman but contact was terminated when the Israeli military bombed the south Lebanon village of Maydoun in 1996.

In January 2006, the head of Hizbullah Sayyed Hassan Nassrallah said Arad was probably dead, even though he had no proof.

As part of the deal, Hizbullah agreed to hand over information on Arad's fate within months. Israel was supposed to obtain the information in exchange for freeing Lebanese Samir Kantar, but the agreement was never finalized.