Ahead of Passover, Israelis warned: Hamas, Iran may target travelers and Jews abroad
Terrorists expected to ramp up attacks amid ‘deteriorating situation in Gaza,’ National Security Council says, as lone wolf terrorism inspired by global jihad said on the rise
Lazar Berman is The Times of Israel's diplomatic reporter
In a warning Tuesday ahead of the Passover holiday, the National Security Council (NSC) said Israelis and Jews traveling abroad could be targeted by Hamas, Iran and global jihadi groups including Islamic State.
Many Israelis typically fly abroad during the weeklong holiday, which will begin on April 12.
The warning urged Israelis to exercise caution when traveling abroad and to check NSC travel recommendations before flying.
In its warning, the NSC said Hamas was expected to ramp up efforts to attack Jewish and Israeli targets abroad given its “deteriorating situation in Gaza and the resumption of fighting” there last month.
The NSC noted the December 2023 arrest of Hamas cells in Denmark, Germany and the Netherlands on suspicion of plotting to attack Jewish targets in Europe. The following April, Bulgarian police uncovered an arms cache linked to four suspected Hamas members arrested in Germany and the Netherlands.
According to the NSC, Iran is the main backer of global terrorism targeting Jews and Israelis. The body warned that “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, Swedish intelligence agency Sapo said Iran, whose leaders are sworn to Israel’s destruction, may have been involved in recent explosions and gunfire around Israeli embassies in Sweden and Denmark. And in May, Sapo said Iran was recruiting members of Swedish criminal gangs to commit “acts of violence” against Israeli and other interests in Sweden — a claim Iran denied.
In its warning Tuesday, the NSC also said there was an increased risk of lone wolf terror attacks amid a spike in the activity of global jihadi groups Islamic State, al-Qaeda and al-Shabab, particularly in Europe.
The warning noted arson attacks and an attempted car bombing in Australia; a rash of Molotov cocktail and shooting attacks at Jewish institutions in Canada; a car ramming that killed fourteen people and injured dozens in New Orleans on New Year’s Eve; and violence against fans of the Maccabi Tel Aviv soccer team in Amsterdam in November.
The NSC also warned that Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula, a popular tourism destination for Israelis, remains a “high-risk area,” and that Israelis should avoid visiting it.
“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 potential expansion of war zones” — a possible reference to the growing IDF operation in Gaza — could further increase the motivation of terrorists and others to attack Israelis abroad, the assessment said.
Israel resumed hostilities in the Strip on March 18, ending a roughly two-month ceasefire and hostage release deal with Hamas. The deal came 15 months after the Gaza war was sparked on October 7, 2023, when thousands of Hamas-led terrorists stormed southern Israel to kill some 1,200 people and take 251 hostages.
Times of Israel staff contributed to this report.
