Palestinian terror groups planning to target Israelis and Jews abroad

Israeli authorities issued a warning on Thursday, saying that Palestinian terrorist groups are planning attacks against Israeli and Jewish targets and individuals abroad. 

The National Security Council's counterterrorism division said that Hamas and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) were especially interested in kidnapping Israelis to bolster their bargaining power vis-à-vis the Jewish state. 

Both terrorist groups, committed to the destruction of Israel, are heavily subsidized by the mullah regime of Iran, which shares their goals against what it brands the "Zionist entity."

The NSC further said that radicalized individuals unaffiliated with the aforementioned terror groups but "inspired" by their propaganda represent a very real threat to Jews and Israelis worldwide. 

The warning was issued some three weeks before the Jewish High Holidays, during which many Israelis travel abroad.  

The press release also cited the threat of attacks by Islamist groups unaffiliated with Iran or its Palestinian proxies.

Abducted soldiers have long served as a holy grail for militant groups in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, due to the possibility of trading lone prisoners for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners.

This year, however, Iranian proxies successfully kidnapped Israeli citizen Elizabeth Tsurkov in Iraq, with fears she will eventually be transferred to Iran.