FBI Director Christopher Wray told reporters on a call Sunday that the agency has seen an increase in reported threats in the US in the wake of Hamas attack in Israel. The FBI and the Department of Homeland Security both issued a public service announcement and a bulletin to law enforcement agencies last week, warning of possible threats related to the war abroad.
A senior FBI official said during the call that most threats have been deemed not credible by the agency, but Jewish and Muslim institutions have been targeted. The FBI official also noted that over the past week, the agency has seen an uptick in rhetoric targeting “Jewish people as well as Muslim institutions.” Wray said: “Here in the US, we cannot and do not discount the possibility thaat Hamas or other foreign terrorist organizations could exploit the conflict to call on their supporters to conduct attacks on our own soil.”
Wray said that FBI officials have also been meeting with leaders in Jewish and Muslim communities across the US as the threats increase. The goal of these meetings, both in person and over the phone, has been to tell leaders “if you see something that concerns you, please let us know because we want to keep you safe.” The director also noted that the FBI is working to help “identify all Americans who’ve been impacted in (Israel), including those who remain unaccounted for.”
According to the State Department, fifteen Americans are still unaccounted for after the attacks, and over two dozen Americans were killed. Said Wray: “Our victim services specialists are working closely with victims and their families, here and abroad.”
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