A court in Egypt has sentenced an Egyptian businessman and two Israelis to 25 years in prison for spying for Israel.

The court on Thursday sentenced Tareq Hassan, who was accused of seeking to recruit telecommunications workers in Egypt, Syria and Lebanon to become Israeli spies.

Hassan, who runs an import-export company, was arrested last August.

The two Israelis were sentenced in absentia.

Egypt arrested a U.S.-Israeli citizen earlier this month, saying he was an officer with Israel's Mossad intelligence agency who had encouraged youths to clash with Egyptian military in Cairo's Tahrir Square. Israel's foreign minister said last week the man, Ilan Grapel, is not a spy. He was ordered to be detained for 15 days.

Egypt signed a peace treaty with Israel in 1979.