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Israelis warned of global threats ahead of Oct. 7 anniversary

“In our estimation, ‘Oct. 7' is expected to be a significant landmark for the terrorist groups,” the agency said.

The departure hall at Ben-Gurion Airport, April 4, 2023. Photo by Avshalom Sassoni/Flash90.
The departure hall at Ben-Gurion Airport, April 4, 2023. Photo by Avshalom Sassoni/Flash90.

Threats by terror groups against Jewish and Israeli targets across the globe are expected to increase as the anniversary of Hamas’s Oct. 7 massacre draws near, Israel’s National Security Council warned on Wednesday.

“In our estimation, Oct. 7 is expected to be a significant landmark for the terrorist groups,” the agency, which is part of the Prime Minister’s Office, stated in a travel warning.

“During this time, an increase in efforts to carry out terror attacks against Israeli/Jewish targets abroad is expected, both through planned actions and through local initiatives/individual threats,” the statement continued.

Citing public threats by the leaders of Iran and its Hezbollah terrorist proxy in Lebanon to attack in retaliation for Israeli military actions, the agency urged citizens to follow the recommendations posted on its website.

“We wish to emphasize the dangers of sharing or posting on social media ... anything that could identify you as being a member of or active in Israel’s security forces,” the warning said.

Pointing at the risk of kidnapping, the NSC warned Israelis to avoid “anyone unfamiliar who tries to make any type of contact with you, especially online and for those who do most of their business abroad.”

The agency also stressed the “real life-threatening danger” in visiting Iraq, Yemen, Iran, Syria and Lebanon—where travel is banned by Israeli law—as well as Saudi Arabia, Bangladesh, Somalia, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Libya, Algeria, Jordan, Egypt and Turkey.

The advisory instructs tourists who encounter a perceived terrorist threat to first notify local security forces before contacting the National Security Council’s hotline (+972-26667444).

In its annual report published in March, the NSC noted that dozens of attacks against Israeli targets worldwide had been foiled over the past months, rating the potential for threats against Jews as “extremely high.”

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