CONFLICT RAGES
Israel tells citizens don’t travel ANYWHERE over fears of ‘violent & disturbing’ anti-Semitic attacks amid Gaza conflict
Israeli citizens have been advised to hide their identities if they have to travel abroad
ISRAEL has warned its citizens not to travel anywhere due to the rise of “violent and disturbing” anti-Semitic attacks as the Hamas war continues.
Eylon Levy, a spokesperson for the Israeli government, said this was a “moment of peril” for the Jewish people worldwide.
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In an unheralded statement, he said: “Globally, I want to address this moment of peril for the Jewish people worldwide as we witness a disturbing spike in anti-Semitic hate speech and even instances of violence against Jews and Israelis following the October 7 massacre.
“Today, the National Security Council and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs put out an unusual global travel warning.
“We are calling on all citizens of Israel to exercise heightened caution when travelling anywhere abroad.
“We know that Jewish communities and their institutions, Israeli diplomatic missions and airports handling flights to and from Israel are key targets for anti-Semites and violent anti-Semites.”
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Mr Levy added: “The National Security Council is urging all Israelis to consider whether any foreign travel anywhere in the world is necessary at this dangerous moment.
“Citizens planning to travel to countries with specific travel plans are asked to postpone their visits and we emphasise Arab and Middle Eastern states, the Northern Caucasus, and countries bordering Iran.
“We are also asking citizens and truly I cannot believe that we are doing this, we are asking all citizens to avoid displaying any outward signs of their Israeli or Jewish identity when travelling anywhere in the world.
“If you must travel, please make sure you have the numbers of the emergency services and the local Israeli embassies on speed dial.
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“Keep away from the anti-Israel pro-jihad protests and remain alert and vigilant about your surroundings at all times.”
It comes after the head of the terrorist group Hezbollah Hassan Nasrallah said "all options are open" fuelling fears a "second front" could open up.
The Hezbollah chief, 63, praised the Hamas October 7 attack and branded it a "sacred operation" that was "100 per cent Palestinian."
He warned that the battle has extended to "more than one front".
The terror chief said the deadly attacks a month ago led to an "earthquake" in Israel and exposed the country's weakness.
It comes as....
- Israel claims to have 'encircled' Gaza City as their ground offensive advances all the way to the coast
- The refugee camp dubbed a "terrorist stronghold" was targeted for a second time in 24 hours
- A top Hamas commander, Ibrahim Biari, was reportedly killed in the blast
- The Rafah crossing is expected to reopen today and allow 92 British nationals to leave Gaza
- Senior MPs joined the fight to get kids and Brits out of Gaza
- The first Brits crossed the Rafah border from Gaza to Egypt
Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ruled out a temporary cease-fire in the Gaza Strip and issued a warning in response.
Netanyahu said Israel is continuing with all of its power and refuses a temporary cease-fire that doesn't include a return of our hostages.
He said: "I tell our enemies to the north don't test us, you will pay dearly."
London's police force said there had been a 14-fold increase in incidents of antisemitism since the October 7 attack.
The Community Security Trust, which collates reports of antisemitism in Britain, said the number of incidents in the three weeks following the attack was the highest for any three-week period since it started collecting data in 1984.
In the US, Jewish advocacy group the Anti-Defamation League reported last week that antisemitic incidents had risen by about 400 per cent in the two weeks following the October 7 attack, compared with the same period last year.
Over in France, Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin said on Monday that since Oct. 7 there had been 819 antisemitic acts. That compares with a figure of 436 for the whole of 2022.
Darmanin said there had been 414 arrests in connection with this trend.
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At least 1,400 people have died and 4,629 others have been injured in Israel, according to Israeli authorities, since October 7, when Hamas launched its surprise attack on Israel.
In the neighbouring Gaza Strip, at least 9,061 people have been killed and more than 23,000 have been injured, according to the Hamas-controlled Gaza Health Ministry.
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