With the world bracing for Hezbollah's retaliation for the Feb. 12 assassination of its top commander Imad Mughniyah, Lebanon is in store for a hot summer. Israel has reportedly warned Syria that it plans to escalate matters militarily with Hezbollah in the near future, and the Gulf Arab states of Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Bahrain have all issued travel advisories urging their citizens to avoid travel to Lebanon. (Click map to enlarge) Hezbollah's retaliatory campaign will be intrinsically tied to the interests of its patrons, Iran and Syria. Though STRATFOR believes Hezbollah will opt for a more covert operation and make use of its overseas network , there are a number of other circumstances that could lead Hezbollah to step up its game in Lebanon and possibly resort to hostage-taking. STRATFOR has received information in recent weeks that Hezbollah is making preparations for hostage-taking operations targeting Western citizens.