New York: The US raised its travel advisory for Israel and West Bank to the second highest level, warning citizens to “reconsider” going to the area, citing the threat of terrorist attacks.
The Department of State issued the Level 3 warning on Wednesday, while its advice on Gaza remained “Level 4 - Do not Travel.” The warning comes as an increasing number of airlines halt operations into Israel, complicating efforts for foreign tourists and business travelers to leave and creating a bottleneck for Israeli citizens to return home.
“Terrorist groups, lone-actor terrorists and other violent extremists continue plotting possible attacks in Israel and the West Bank and Gaza,” according to the advisory issued after Israel pledged to aggressively counter attacks by Hamas.
“Terrorists and violent extremists may attack with little or no warning, targeting tourist locations, transportation hubs, markets/shopping malls, and local government facilities.”
Other nations at Level 3 on the State Department’s list include Trinidad & Tobago, Jamaica, Honduras, Saudi Arabia and Uganda.
