(Bloomberg) -- The US State Department has issued a warning over protests planned for Friday at Israeli and US embassies and other sites around the world.
“Social media posts on various platforms are calling for demonstrations,” the department said in a travel alert posted on X on Thursday night. “U.S. citizens should avoid demonstrations and exercise caution.”
Hamas, the militant organization that carried out an assault on Israel last October, encouraged the “Friday of Rage for Gaza” protests, according to the Palestinian Information Center, which calls itself “a news website that provides news coverage of mainly Palestinian events.”
Many of its articles are sympathetic to Hamas and the Hezbollah militia in Lebanon, both backed by Iran and regarded as terrorist organizations by the US.
Hamas advocated similar demonstrations on Friday, Oct. 11. It was not immediately clear why the State Department issued the “Worldwide Caution” for Friday. But a similar alert for Friday, May 17 urged caution “due to the potential for terrorist attacks, demonstrations, or violent actions against U.S. citizens and interests.”
The State Department didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment on Thursday night.
Earlier: US Presses for Gaza Settlement as Negotiators Prepare to Meet
The plan for protests comes as negotiators plan to meet in coming days to discuss efforts to end the conflict in Gaza.
The war in the Palestinian enclave erupted after Hamas fighters swarmed into southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, killing about 1,200 people and taking another 250 hostage. Israel responded with an air and ground assault that has killed more than 42,000 people, according to the Hamas-run Health Ministry.
The Israeli military’s conduct in the war has generated widespread criticism, leading to protests on US college campuses and in many countries.
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