Israel and Jewish communities around the world are on high alert for terrorist attacks as Hizbullah and Iran mark the end of the traditional 40-day mourning period for arch-terrorist Imad Mughniyeh, who was assassinated on February 12 in Damascus.
Hizbullah officials have called for a mass rally in Beirut to mark the end of the formal mourning period for Mughniyeh, and Hizbullah deputy chief Naim Kassem claimed on Iran's Press TV Saturday that the organization possessed "100 percent proof" that Israel was behind the assassination.
Israel denies any connection to the strike on Mughniyeh, and analysts in Israel and abroad suggested at the time of the killing that Mughniyeh could well have been targeted by Lebanese Christians, the Syrian regime of Bashar al-Assad or even political opponents within Hizbullah.
In Israel, the IDF has increased patrols along the northern and southern borders, and police and border patrol officers in major cities have been placed on high alert for Hizbullah attempts to stage a major terrorist attack to avenge Mughniyeh's death. In addition, IDF Army Radio reported that security officials have heightened security details for political and military leaders. A general closure is also in effect for PA Arabs until the three-day Purim holiday ends Sunday evening.
Jewish communities overseas have also been advised to take security precautions for the foreseeable future, in light of Hizbullah's history of attacking Jewish and Israeli targets abroad to avenge what they believe to be Israeli attacks on the organization. Following the 1992 assassination of former Hizbullah chief Abbas Musawi, terrorists believed to have been connected with Iran struck a Jewish community center in Buenos Aires, Argentina with an explosives-laden van, leveling the seven-story building and killing 85 civilians. Specific kidnapping warnings have been issued for Cyprus, less than an hour's flight from Tel Aviv and a popular holiday destination for Israeli families.