As Israel prepares to send thousands of troops into the Gaza Strip in response to Hamas' attack on Israelis last week, communities are monitoring for potential violence at protests in the U.S.
The Federal Bureau of Investigations has said there are no specific threats against Jewish or Palestinian populations in the U.S., but it is monitoring.
On Thursday, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis declared a state of emergency and directed law enforcement to monitor and respond to potential conflicts. The executive order also included language that would charter flights to Israel to evacuate Americans wanting to leave.
DeSantis' order was one notable example of how cities and states are expressing concern after there has been online chatter about potential violence between those in solidarity with Israelis and Palestinians.
Israel urges 1.1M Gazans to evacuate due to ground offensive threat
Israel has called up over 300,000 reserves that are positioned to enter the Gaza Strip in the coming days.
New York City was among the locations in the U.S. warning residents to be vigilant.
"We have directed the NYPD to surge additional resources to schools and houses of worship to ensure that they are safe and that our city remains a place of peace," New York City Mayor Eric Adams said. "We're also stepping up NYPD patrols in other key neighborhoods to protect all of our city residents."
"There is currently no intelligence showing any active threats in New York—that is, the entire state of New York," New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said Thursday. "But in a moment fraught like this, we will continue to exercise elevated vigilance and impose measures to deter any potential violence."
Los Angeles Police said it did not know of any active threats but was working with other agencies to monitor the situation.
"We will be reaching out to our local Jewish and Muslim communities and will be providing extra patrol during this unimaginable time," LAPD said.
Smaller cities have already seen some conflict. The Columbus Dispatch reported that a truck struck a protester on a bicycle during a pro-Palestinian protest at the Ohio Capitol. An eyewitness told the Dispatch that a man began shouting obscenities about Palestinians before striking the protester.
