Israel’s National Security Council is warning Israelis traveling overseas during the Tishrei Yomim Tovim to exercise heightened caution amid growing efforts by Iran, Hamas, Hezbollah, global jihadist groups and lone attackers to strike Israeli and Jewish targets abroad.
The NSC issued an updated assessment of threats facing Israelis overseas ahead of the Yomim Tovim, seeking to raise awareness among travelers and encourage greater vigilance. Officials stressed that the assessment reflects updated intelligence regarding worldwide terrorism trends and the risks they pose in different locations and does not constitute a new set of travel warnings.
According to the assessment, the continuing conflict with Iran, Hamas, Hezbollah and other hostile groups has intensified efforts to attack Israelis outside the country. The danger extends beyond organized terrorist plots, with escalating incitement on social media contributing to increased motivation among potential attackers. The NSC said the third anniversary of the October 7 massacre, which falls in October 2026, is expected to be an especially sensitive period, with the possibility of violent protests as well as attempts to carry out targeted attacks.
Iran and its proxies remain at the center of the overseas threat, according to the NSC. Seeking retaliation for the blows it has sustained, Tehran has been using terrorist networks and criminal operatives in efforts to target Israeli diplomatic facilities, security personnel, senior officials, Jewish communal institutions and Israeli tourists. Hezbollah also remains a significant concern as it seeks revenge for the losses it has sustained during the fighting and the strikes against its leadership.
Hamas, meanwhile, has devoted substantial resources to developing terrorist infrastructure in Europe and other locations for potential high-profile and retaliatory attacks against Israeli and Jewish targets, in addition to its continuing activity in Gaza and Yehudah and Shomron. Global jihadist organizations, including ISIS and Al-Qaeda, have continued openly calling for attacks against Jews. While the danger is particularly acute in parts of Africa and Asia, authorities are also concerned about lone attackers targeting Jews and Israelis in European cities and the United States. The Houthis have similarly called for attacks against Israelis traveling in Somaliland and elsewhere in Africa, portraying an Israeli presence in the region as a threat.
The NSC also highlighted a sharp increase in attacks carried out by individuals acting alone. Since the war began, terrorist attacks overseas have claimed the lives of 25 Israelis and Jews. Officials described the phenomenon as especially difficult to anticipate because potential attackers are often radicalized through social media and act independently, frequently selecting easily accessible “soft targets” such as large gatherings, houses of worship and communal institutions.
Jordan has also been added this year to the countries carrying the most severe Level 4 travel warning, with Israelis advised to avoid traveling there even for a stopover.
The NSC advised Israelis overseas to minimize visible displays of Israeli or Jewish identity, including kippahs and clothing bearing Hebrew lettering, and to avoid sharing their locations publicly. Travelers were also urged to be particularly attentive to unusual activity around Chabad houses, shuls and kosher restaurants and to remain alert for suspicious people or objects.
{Matzav.com}
