The US State Department has revised its Travel tips On Wednesday, he traveled to Israel and urged Americans to “reconsider travel to the country” amid the intensifying war with Hamas in Gaza.
Violence erupted on Saturday when Hamas militants in Gaza – a Palestinian territory where Hamas is based – launched a surprise attack on Israel, killing hundreds of its soldiers and civilians and trapping more than 150 of them hostage in the Gaza Strip.
The surprise attack sparked a war that… Abrupt stop of several flights from the USA to Israel on Saturday. As violence between Israel and Hamas continues to spread, the US State Department has increased its travel warning for Israel to “Reconsider Level 3 Travel.”
“Terrorist groups, lone actors and other violent extremists continue to plan possible attacks in Israel, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip,” the statement said. “Terrorists and violent extremists can attack with little or no warning, targeting tourist sites, transportation hubs, markets/shopping centers and local government facilities.”
“Violence can occur without warning in Israel, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. There has been a significant increase in demonstrations across Israel, some with little or no warning.”
Even before the outbreak of the war, the ministry warned Americans against traveling to Gaza and urged them to be careful when traveling to Israel because of the terrorist threat.
Now the revised recommendation lists Israel and the West Bank as places to reconsider traveling due to “terrorism and unrest.” It also warns against visiting Gaza for the same reasons, alongside the “armed conflict.”
Israeli militants have continued to wage airstrikes against Hamas since Saturday, in what appears to be just the beginning of their offensive. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has praised to bring about greater retribution that would “reverberate for generations.”
Several U.S. political leaders have spoken out about the war, including President Joe Biden, who pledged on Tuesday to continue to support Israel in its defense. Now a Nobel Peace Prize winner Malala Yousafzai – without taking sides – demanded one “Immediate ceasefire” on Tuesday for the benefit of children caught in the middle of the violence, repeating a similar statement released by UNICEF on the same day.
The war that… Associated Press Reports that at least 2,300 people died on both sides were not baseless, but rather a result of the Israeli government’s decades-long apartheid against the Palestinians. Biden seemed to point to this in his remarks on Tuesday, when he condemned Hamas and stressed that the group does not reflect the entire Palestinian cause.
“The brutality of Hamas … is reminiscent of ISIS’s worst rampages,” Biden said. “Hamas does not stand for the Palestinian people’s right to dignity and self-determination… Hamas offers nothing but terror and bloodshed, regardless of who pays the price.”