Israel: Car-ramming attack against security personnel in Acre Mar. 4

Event

On Sunday, March 4, two soldiers and one paramilitary policeman suffered non-life-threatening injuries in a car-ramming attack in the northern Israeli city of Acre; the incident occurred in a market parking lot outside a train station. The Arab-Israeli motorist who carried out the attack was shot and seriously wounded before being taken into custody.

Context

Longstanding political and social tensions between Israelis and Palestinians contribute to frequent security incidents of varying severity. Israel claims that these incidents are largely the result of the Palestinian Authority (PA) fueling social unrest with calls to protest, whereas Palestinians criticize what they describe as an illegal occupation by the Israeli population.

Advice

Individuals in or near Acre are advised to keep abreast of the situation, avoid any public demonstrations due to the risk of violence, and adhere to any instructions issued by the local authorities.

More generally due to the ongoing terrorist threat, travelers to Israel are advised to report any suspicious objects or behavior to the authorities and to remain vigilant when visiting sites deemed particularly likely to be targeted in an attack (public transportation, train stations, ports, airports, public or government buildings, security installations, embassies or consulates, international organizations, schools and universities, religious sites, markets, etc.). As a reminder, several Western governments advise their citizens against all travel to the West Bank, the Gaza Strip, and areas near the Lebanese, Syrian, and Egyptian borders.