Israel's Counter Terrorism Bureau, part of the prime minister's office,
has asserted that Iran and Hizbullah were planning attacks on Israelis
abroad. The bureau said Hizbullah has sought to avenge the assassination of
its operations chief, Imad Mughniyeh, killed in a car bombing in 2008 in
Damascus.
"According to our intelligence," the bureau said, "there continues to be
threats of revenge killings or kidnappings of Israelis traveling outside the
country, especially businessmen and high-ranking ex-government officials."
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In an advisory on July 8, the bureau urged Israelis to increase their
alertness abroad, Middle East Newsline reported. This included refusing unsolicited or unexpected
business offers with foreigners, or traveling to remote areas.
Over the last 18 months, Hizbullah plots against Israelis abroad were
said to have been foiled in several Asian countries, including Azerbaijan
and Thailand. Officials said Hizbullah had been working with Iran's Islamic
Revolutionary Guard Corps to track and target prominent Israelis.
Other advice offered by the bureau was for Israelis to avoid routine
when traveling abroad. This included changing traffic routes, restaurants or
places of entertainment.