Israel issues warnings, guidelines for travel abroad ahead of Jewish holidays
National Security Council warns approaching anniversary of October 7 Hamas attack likely to intensify motivation to carry out terror actions, advises caution
The National Security Council issued a lengthy travel advisory Wednesday to Israelis planning to go abroad over the upcoming Jewish holiday period, warning of stepped-up attempts by Iran and its proxy terror groups to commit attacks on Israeli and Jewish targets.
Citing many public remarks by Iran and Hezbollah about plans for attacks in response to Israeli actions and alleged actions, the advisory assessed that attempts will intensify with the approach of the anniversary of Hamas’s October 7 onslaught on southern Israel that opened the ongoing war in the Gaza Strip.
The date is expected to be a “significant landmark” for terrorist organizations, particularly Hamas and global jihadist groups.
The NSC told Israelis to follow its advisories and act accordingly, to refrain from posting about their affiliation with security forces on social media, and to be wary of kidnapping or fraud attempts.
Being part of Israel’s security forces, whether in national service, the reserves, or as a permanent position “increases the risk of being marked by various parties as a target for harm,” it cautioned.
The NSC stressed the “real danger to life” of traveling to a list of locations including Iraq, Yemen, Iran, Syria, and Lebanon where visits are barred by law. The same danger is present in Bangladesh, Somalia, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Libya, Algeria, Jordan, Egypt, Turkey, and Saudi Arabia, many of which have restrictions on entry by Israelis.
Also on the list was the Sinai Peninsula in Egypt, a popular vacation destination for Israelis.
“Sinai is subject to a level 4 travel warning – high threat and one should avoid going to the region,” the NSC said.
The advisory counseled that if travelers encounter a perceived terror threat while abroad, they should first notify local security authorities and then the NSC’s 24/7 hotline at +972-26667444.
The NSC said many attempted attacks targeting Israelis were made over the past year, while efforts by Iran to carry out attacks against Israelis were thwarted in Peru, France, Germany, and Greece. Nonetheless, some attacks were successful and claimed lives such as the deaths of four Israelis in two separate attacks in Egypt in October and June and an assault in Dagestan on religious sites that killed 15 and injured 26 in June, though none of the victims were Israelis or Jewish.
There have also been shootings at Israeli or Jewish sites, arson attacks on synagogues, and assaults on Israeli diplomatic missions, the NSC noted.
Many Israelis choose to take trips abroad during the High Holy Days holiday period that begins next week on Wednesday night with the start of Rosh Hashana and ends three weeks later with the conclusion of Sukkot.
War erupted on October 7 when Hamas led a devastating cross-border attack on southern Israel that killed 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and during which terrorists abducted 251 people who were taken as hostages to Gaza. Israel’s military response is aimed at destroying Hamas in Gaza and saving the hostages.
The conflict spread when the day after the Hamas assault, the Iran-backed Lebanese terror group Hezbollah began attacking along Israel’s northern border. After eleven months of skirmishes, the fighting in the north recently ballooned bringing the two sides to the brink of all-out war.
