US limits embassy staff’s travel within Israel amid Iranian threat

JERUSALEM

The US asked its embassy employees and their families in Israel on Thursday to restrict their travels in the country amid threats by Iran to retaliate for an attack on its consulate in Syria.

“Out of an abundance of caution, US government employees and their family members are restricted from personal travel outside the greater Tel Aviv (including Herzliya, Netanya and Even Yehuda), Jerusalem and Beersheba areas until further notice,” the US Embassy said in a security alert posted on its website.

“US government personnel are authorized to transit between these three areas for personal travel,” it added.

Israel is on high alert amid fears of a possible Iranian attack on Israeli targets after threats by Tehran to retaliate for an alleged Israeli strike on the Iranian Consulate in Damascus on April 1.

At least seven members of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps were killed in the attack, including two top generals.

Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz threatened Wednesday that his country’s military would strike Iran directly if Tehran launched an attack from its territory against Israel.

The escalation comes as Israel continues to wage a deadly military offensive on the Gaza Strip following a cross-border attack in early October by the Palestinian group Hamas, which killed around 1,200 people.

More than 33,500 Palestinians have since been killed in Gaza and over 76,000 injured besides causing mass destruction and displacement.