FBI warns of lone-actor violence in US amid Israel-Hamas war

In a public service announcement on Tuesday, the US's Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) said that "ongoing tensions related to the conflict between Israel and [Hamas] likely heighten the threat of lone actor violence targeting large public gatherings throughout the winter."

Those gatherings include New Year's Eve events, protests related to the conflict, and holiday-related or faith-based events.

The FBI did not specify any "specific plotting activity," but cautiones that "these targets likely remain attractive to lone actors inspired by a range of ideologies due to their accessibility and symbolic nature."

The bureau cited spikes in both "reporting on potential hate crimes or other criminal violations" and "hoax bomb and active shooter threats," the latter targeting synagogues. 

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"FBI and DHS [the Department of Homeland Security] are particularly attuned in this environment to the concerns of the Jewish, Arab American, and Muslim communities," the statement said, vowing to continue engaging directly with community leaders. 

"Calls for violence may increase in the days leading up the holidays," the FBI said, noting escalations in the Gaza war as a factor that could exacerbate the situation. "We therefore urge everyone to remain vigilant," the statement went on, "and to report any threats of violence or suspicious activity to law enforcement."