What’s Happening:

The world has become more connected over recent decades and today a war in the Middle East brings that violence close to home. Daily doses of news and images can create a sense of fear that what happens abroad may affect American citizens.

In the past most of these fears aren’t realized but in today’s world Americans have seen massive and angry protests in major city streets and on college campuses across the country as well as on U.S. embassy properties in other countries. Protestors have rallied to support, sometimes violently, the causes of terrorists who slaughtered more than 1,000 innocent Israelis to start the war.

Now the U.S. government is warning American citizens to be cautious wherever they are around the world. What is happening in the Middle East may be brewing where Americans work and play across the globe.

From Semafor:
The U.S. Department of State issued a rare “Worldwide Caution” alert Thursday, urging any American who is overseas to “exercise increased caution” due to “increased tensions in various locations around the world. The U.S. said there is also an increased potential for “terrorist attacks, demonstrations or violent actions against U.S. citizens.”

U.S. officials are asking American citizens in certain countries to evacuate. The U.S. Embassy in Beirut urged American citizens Thursday to make plans to leave the country “as soon as possible while commercial options are still available.” Fighting has intensified near Israel’s northern border with Lebanon and news reports show Israel is preparing to invade Gaza, the area from where Hamas terrorists attacked earlier this month.

The official U.S. government also urged in an emergency alert that “U.S. citizens who choose not to depart prepare contingency plans for emergency situations.” Other countries chimed in as they issued similar warnings to their citizens. This included the U.K. and Germany.

Violence has hit close to home for American citizens abroad. Protesters swarmed near the U.S. Embassy in Beirut earlier this week. They appear to have been prompted by an explosion at a hospital in Gaza. Palestinian officials said an Israeli airstrike caused the devastation which killed hundreds, while Israel blamed a failed rocket launch by the Palestinian Islamic Jihad group.

News reports have documented fears of government officials and security experts from around the world that attack on Israel may lead to escalating tensions between the country and the Iran-backed and Lebanon-based militia group Hezbollah. The terrorist group recently fired rockets at some northern Israeli towns, according to news reports, and the overall conflict could expand into a regional war.

Key Takeaways:

• Americans around the globe are asked to heed this warning about terrorists.
• The U.S. Department of State has issued a rare “Worldwide Caution” alert.
• Fears are growing that the Middle East conflict may become a regional war.

Source: Semafor