two recent unsuccessful kidnapping attempts against Israelis by Hizballah

Israeli officials have announced that there were two recent unsuccessful kidnapping attempts against Israelis by Hizballah. Very few details regarding the alleged attempts were released, but the development comes weeks after Israeli authorities issued a warning regarding the potential for Hizballah to attempt kidnappings against Israelis abroad in retaliation for the February 2008 assassination of a high-ranking Hizballah leader in Syria. Hizballah blames Israel for the assassination and has threatened revenge; Israel continues to take the threats seriously and has in recent months increased security at Israeli interests worldwide and issued warnings about kidnapping attempts. In the most recent development, it was reported that Hizballah agents attempted to kidnap Israeli businessmen abroad in two separate incidents. However, no further information, such as when or where the incidents reportedly occurred, was released. The most recent warning by the Israeli government stated that the threat applies worldwide, while previous statements have mentioned west Africa and South America as areas of particular concern.