The Defense Ministry has been instructed to raise its alert level due to concerns that Hizbullah will target Israelis and Jews abroad with the aid of Iran and Syria in retaliation for the death of Hizbullah operations chief Imad Mughniyeh, Defense Minister Ehud Barak announced on Sunday.
Speaking at the weekly cabinet meeting, Barak said Mughniyeh was responsible for the deaths of hundreds of civilians and soldiers over dozens of years in numerous countries worldwide. He estimated that it would take time for Hizbullah to replace him.
Syria and Hizbullah still don't have a clear picture of who assassinated Mughniyeh, Barak went on, but that hasn't stopped Hizbullah from pointing an accusing finger at Israel. Earlier, London's Sunday Times reported that at the time of his assassination, allegedly carried out by the Mossad, Mughniyeh was cooperating with the Syrians in planning an attack against Israeli targets to avenge an IAF strike on a Syrian site in September 2007, according to "informed Israeli sources." |