(NewsNation) — The one-year anniversary of Hamas’ attack on Israeli civilians and the ensuing Israel-Hamas conflict in Gaza may be “a motivating factor for violent extremists and hate crime perpetrators to engage in violence,” the FBI and Department of Homeland Security warned Friday.
The statement said that Jewish, Muslim or Arab venues such as synagogues and mosques “present attractive targets for violent attacks or for hoax threats by a variety of threat actors.”
The agencies also say the threat is not only from organized foreign terrorist groups, but from individuals. They say that online messaging highlighting the October 7 anniversary could inspire people to act alone, attacking with little or no warning.
In a separate notice, the FBI said that “it is essential to be watchful for threats against Jewish, Muslim, and Arab communities and institutions and to immediately contact law enforcement to report any suspicious activity.”