Norwegian Foreign Ministry Urges Citizens Not To Visit Palestinians And Israeli-occupied Territories

JAKARTA - Norway's foreign ministry on Friday urged its citizens not to visit Palestinians and Israeli-occupied territories amid the risk of rising tensions in the region.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs amended its travel recommendations for Israel and Palestine and suggested delaying travel to the two regions, the ministry said in a statement, quoted by Antara, Saturday, August 3.

Security situations in Israel could turn drastically worse following rocket attacks on Israel from southern Lebanon and recent killings of senior officials of the Hamas Palestinian movement and the Lebanese Hezbollah movement in Beirut and Tehran, the statement said.

The ministry added that living in the Gaza Strip is also dangerous with the situation of war between Israel and Hamas.

The situation on the Israeli-Lebanon border deteriorated after Israel started a conflict in the Gaza Strip in October 2023.

Israeli Defense Forces and fighters of the Lebanese Hezbollah movement attack each other almost every day in a number of positions along the border area.

The conflict has forced some 100,000 people in southern Lebanon and 80,000 people in northern Israel to flee their homes.

On Tuesday, the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) launched airstrikes on a residential building in the southern suburbs of Beirut.

The target, declared by Hezbollah commander Fuad Shukr, was killed along with at least four civilians.

Hamas' political chief, Ismail Haniyeh, was murdered at his residence in Tehran on Wednesday.

The Hamas resistance group accused Israel of killing Haniyeh and said the attack would not be left unretaliated.

Israel has not officially commented on Haniyeh's death report.