As Pesach approaches, the National Security Council (NSC) has issued a warning that Israelis and Jews traveling internationally could be potential targets for attacks by Hamas, Iran, and extremist organizations like Islamic State.
Many Israelis traditionally travel overseas during the Pesach period.
In light of ongoing global threats, the NSC is advising travelers to remain vigilant, follow security protocols, and consult the NSC’s updated travel alerts before making any international plans.
The NSC indicated that Hamas might intensify efforts to strike Israeli and Jewish individuals or institutions abroad, citing its “deteriorating situation in Gaza and the resumption of fighting” as factors likely to fuel such attacks.
The alert referenced several recent incidents that underscore the threat, including the arrests of Hamas operatives in December 2023 in Denmark, Germany, and the Netherlands. Authorities suspect they were planning attacks on Jewish targets across Europe. In a related case this April, Bulgarian officials uncovered a hidden stash of weapons tied to four Hamas suspects previously detained in Germany and the Netherlands.
Iran remains, according to the NSC, the primary sponsor of international terror networks focused on harming Jews and Israelis. The statement warned: “Iranian terror operatives have continued attempts to lure Israeli citizens — both domestically and abroad — through deceptive business offers or impersonation, aiming to harm or abduct them.”
In October, Sweden’s security service, Sapo, pointed to Iran’s possible involvement in violent incidents near Israeli diplomatic buildings in Sweden and Denmark. By May, Swedish officials claimed Iran had begun enlisting local gang members to carry out “acts of violence” targeting Israeli and allied interests in the country — a charge that Iranian authorities denied.
On Tuesday, the NSC also raised concerns about the rising threat of attacks from unaffiliated terrorists, spurred on by the growing activities of jihadist groups like Islamic State, al-Qaeda, and al-Shabab, particularly across Europe.
The travel alert cited numerous recent attacks, including arson and a failed car bombing attempt in Australia, a series of Molotov cocktail and firearm assaults on Jewish sites in Canada, a deadly vehicle attack in New Orleans that left fourteen dead, and violence directed at Maccabi Tel Aviv supporters in Amsterdam last November.
The NSC also highlighted the Sinai Peninsula in Egypt as a particularly dangerous zone and urged Israelis to stay away from the area, despite its popularity with tourists.
“The climate of hate against Israelis and Jews due to the ongoing war continues to fuel terrorist efforts, both from organized cells and individual attackers,” according to the NSC.
The NSC further warned that “the potential expansion of war zones” — an apparent reference to ongoing IDF operations in Gaza — could heighten the likelihood of attacks on Israelis and Jewish individuals abroad.
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