US tells Americans to avoid parts of northern Israel

The US Embassy in Israel advised its nationals in the country to “carefully consider and defer travel” to the “Israeli-occupied” Golan Heights and Upper Galilee, following the rocket fire from Syria on Thursday, and Israel’s retaliatory strikes hours later.

“Due to the launching of rockets from Syria toward Israel and other cross-border activity in northeastern Israel and northern Golan Heights on August 20 and 21, we urge US citizens to carefully consider and possibly defer travel in the Upper Galilee area of northern Israel and the northern part of Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, until the situation stabilizes,” the embassy said in a message posted Friday on its website.

The Israel Defense Forces launched a wave of air and artillery strikes into Syria on Friday morning, after four rockets were fired at Israel from the Syrian side of the Golan Heights.

There were no injuries on the Israeli side, although the rocket strikes did cause fires to break out.

Six people were reported killed in an Israeli Air Force strike on a vehicle Israel said was ferrying the Islamic Jihad cell that had fired the rockets, on Iran’s instructions. Islamic Jihad denied responsibility for the attack and vowed revenge.

“The Embassy continues to closely monitor the security situation and advises US citizens to visit the website of the Government of Israel’s Home Front Command for further emergency preparedness guidance,” the embassy advisory said.

“Recent events underscore the importance of situational awareness. We remind you to be aware of your surroundings at all times, to monitor the media, and to follow directions of emergency responders.”

The Lebanon-based Islamist organization Hezbollah has raised its alert level along the border with Israel, Kuwaiti newspaper Al-Rai reported Saturday, according to Israeli media outlets, “due to Israel’s attempt to drag Syria and Lebanon into a conflict.”