This browser does not support the Video element.
US asks Americans abroad to be cautious
As the Israeli-Hamas war enters it's 13th day, the U.S. State Department is now asking Americans abroad to exercise increased caution. FOX 26's Natalie Hee has the latest update from officials.
HOUSTON - President Joe Biden is expected to address the nation about the U.S. response to the Israeli-Hamas Conflict and Russia's War Against Ukraine on Thursday at 7 p.m. CST.
The U.S. State Department is now asking Americans abroad to exercise increased caution as the potential for terrorist attacks, demonstrations or violence against U.S. citizens have increased.
U.S. officials are also asking Americans to not travel to Lebanon, which borders Israel, because of an increased risk of airstrikes in the region.
SUGGESTED: State Department issues 'worldwide caution' advisory amid Israel-Hamas war
According to the Israeli Consul General of the Southwest, Livia Link-Raviv, 1,400 people have been killed and more than 5,000 wounded as the war continues on its 13th day and counting.
Israeli officials say roughly 200 hostages were kidnapped by Hamas, including more than a dozen Americans. Authorities say it's unclear whether the hostages are safe.
This browser does not support the Video element.
"The human mind doesn’t have the capability even to begin to grasp the magnitude of this tragedy. The atrocities that we have seen, and I can tell you that this is a trauma that is still ongoing and a trauma that will haunt Israeli society for decades to come.
RELATED: Gaza waits for humanitarian aid, as Israel tells troops to ‘be ready’ for ground invasion
"If you want to talk about numbers, this is 9/11 times 15, compared to the population. We will carry this trauma with us for decades to come," said Livia Link-Raviv, Israeli Consul General of the Southwest U.S.
DOWNLOAD THE FOX 26 HOUSTON APP BY CLICKING HERE
On Wednesday, roughly 2,000 people showed up outside the Israeli Consulate building in Upper Kirby for a pro-Palestinian rally and called for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza after more than 4,000 Palestinians have reportedly died.
"What we saw yesterday was people from all walks of life coming and uniting around the fact that Palestinians deserve to live in freedom, safety, justice, and equality," said Fouad Salah, an organizer with Houston's Palestinian Youth Movement.