"The trial was postponed until July 27 after their attorneys requested the hearings be made confidential as they feel the lives of their clients and their clients' families are threatened by Israel, Syria and Hezbollah," the source told AFP.

Lebanon's military prosecutor has demanded that the two brothers be condemned to death if convicted.

Lebanon remains in a state of war with Israel, and convicted spies face a life prison term with hard labor or the death penalty if found guilty of contributing to Lebanese loss of life.

The Jarrahs, who are from the eastern Bekaa region, were detained last year by the Shiite militant Hezbollah, which fought a 34-day war with Israel in Lebanon in 2006.

Lebanon has arrested more than 70 people this year in a crackdown on espionage rings, including a retired general and a policemen. -AFP