The National Security Council on Saturday warned Israelis abroad to be on the alert for attacks linked to the war that broke out early that morning, when hundreds of Hamas terrorists invaded Israel from the Gaza Strip, killing hundreds and kidnapping dozens of people, who were taken back as captives in the Palestinian enclave.
In a statement, the council warned that celebrations for Simhat Torah, the final day of the weeklong Sukkot holiday — which are held a day later outside of Israel — could be a target for those looking to harm Israelis or Jews abroad.
Meanwhile, New York State and New York City police stepped up their protection of Jewish communities and synagogues, Gov. Kathy Hochul said.
There are no known threats to New York Jews, she noted, adding that local authorities are in touch with the FBI and other federal partners after the terror onslaught from Gaza.
Jewish security organizers also said there are no known threats to US Jews, but were urging vigilance.
Germany and France also moved to reinforce security around Jewish synagogues, schools and monuments after the surprise attack by Hamas against Israel. There have been deadly gun attacks that targeted the Jewish communities in both countries in recent years.
Germany tightened police protection of Jewish and Israeli institutions, as some supporters of the Palestinians took to the streets of Berlin to celebrate the Hamas onslaught.
Muslims in Germany Celebrate the Israeli Attacks
In Berlin, a TV team from Welt, one of the country’s largest daily newspapers, was attacked by Hamas sympathizers; in the street, some, wearing the Palestinian flag, were distributing pastries to celebrate the attacks against… https://t.co/7rPeSmht3L pic.twitter.com/6WMosf2M3a
— Amy Mek (@AmyMek) October 7, 2023
“In Berlin, police protection has been immediately stepped up,” Germany’s Interior Minister Nancy Faeser told Bild newspaper. “The federal government and the regions are closely coordinating their actions.”
Germany’s authorities are also closely watching “potential supporters of Hamas in the Islamist sphere,” she added.
France was focusing on Jewish prayer houses and schools in cities across the country, as one Jewish leader expressed concern at the possibility the conflict might be imported there.
Security had already been stepped up at synagogues in Paris, Marseille, Lyon and Strasbourg because of the holiday period being observed since late September.
Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin sent an urgent message to prefects running the country’s regions asking them to reinforce surveillance even further.
“At a time when terrorist attacks from Gaza are hitting Israel, I ask you to immediately step up vigilance, security and protection of Jewish community sites in France,” he wrote in a message seen by AFP.
He called for a “visible and systematic static presence,” and the use of soldiers from France’s Operation Sentinelle, a special force deployed across the country since the 2015 terror attacks in and around Paris. The interior ministry will review the security situation at a special meeting tomorrow.
French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin walks toward journalists at the headquarters of the French police tactical RAID unit (Research, Assistance, Intervention, Deterrence) during a visit to Marseille, September 12, 2023, (Nicolas Tucat, pool via AP)
As the scale of the Hamas attack became clear, Israeli authorities said that at least 300 soldiers and civilians had been killed during nearly 24 hours of fighting as terrorists who roamed through the south of the country shot those they encountered. By Sunday morning the army said it had mostly neutralized the terrorists.
Dozens of Israelis, including elderly people and children, were apparently dragged to the Gaza Strip as prisoners, with Hamas posting videos of their capture on social media.
The Health Ministry said 1,854 people were injured, 19 of whom are in critical condition, 326 in serious condition, and 359 in moderate condition. A further 821 have light injuries, 20 suffered acute anxiety, and 223 were being medically assessed.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared that Israel was at war and the military responded with airstrikes on terrorist infrastructure in the Gaza Strip. Hundreds of thousands of army reservists were called up in apparent preparation for a major military campaign that has been dubbed “Operation Swords of Iron.”
