US State Department issues worldwide travel advisory amid Israel war tension

Published on October 20, 2023

By: Tuhin Sarkar

The US State Department has recently issued a “worldwide” travel advisory, urging American citizens to exercise heightened caution while traveling due to increasing tensions and potential threats of terrorism, demonstrations, and violence targeting US citizens and interests around the world.

This advisory comes in the midst of several significant events, including President Joe Biden’s visit to Israel and the ongoing military response by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) in Gaza.

The situation in the region has become highly volatile. On October 7th, Hamas launched an attack that resulted in the deaths of approximately 2,000 Israelis, prompting a swift IDF response that displaced more than a million Palestinians and claimed the lives of over 3,785 Gazans, according to data from the Gaza health ministry. Tragically, a hospital explosion further exacerbated the crisis, causing hundreds of casualties. Both Hamas and Israeli officials have traded accusations regarding the hospital incident, with Hamas claiming it was a deliberate IDF strike and Israeli authorities countering with evidence pointing towards Hamas’s involvement.

Notably, US officials, including President Biden, have publicly supported the IDF’s stance, potentially influencing the issuance of this travel warning. In response to the heightened risk, the US State Department has escalated its travel advisory for Lebanon and Israel to the highest level and authorized the departure of non-emergency US government workers and their families from these regions.

This “worldwide” travel advisory is a significant step, as the State Department only issues such warnings in cases of extraordinary circumstances. The last instance was in August 2022 following the killing of al-Qaida leader Ayman al-Zawahiri by the US military. American citizens are strongly urged to remain vigilant, especially in tourist-heavy areas, as the global situation remains tense and unpredictable, with the potential for further unrest and violence.