Israel’s National Security Council has issued a stern travel warning, urging its citizens to reconsider non-essential visits to the United Arab Emirates due to a significant escalation in perceived terror threats targeting Israelis in the region, a direct consequence of ongoing Middle East tensions.

The advisory highlights intelligence indicating that Iranian-backed groups, specifically naming Hezbollah and Hamas, alongside various global jihadist networks, are actively seeking to carry out attacks against Israeli and Jewish interests within the Gulf State, heightening the UAE security landscape.

These adversarial entities are reportedly motivated by a heightened desire for retribution following recent Israeli military operations, particularly “Operation Rising Lion,” compounded by a surge in anti-Israel and pro-Palestinian incitement intensified since the commencement of “Operation Iron Swords.”

The warning also subtly references what the NSC terms Hamas’s “starvation campaign” claims, a veiled acknowledgment of widespread international criticism regarding Israel’s blockade of aid into Gaza and the dire humanitarian crisis unfolding as a result of the ongoing Gaza conflict impact.

While the formal Israel travel warning for the UAE remains at Level 3, advising against non-essential travel, the Council’s updated guidance strongly recommends that Israelis “seriously reconsider” any planned trips, especially during periods of significant Jewish holidays and Shabbat, when communal gatherings present increased vulnerability to a potential terrorism alert.

The UAE’s relationship with Israel has blossomed since the 2020 Abraham Accords, which normalized ties and fostered a notable expansion of Israeli and Jewish communities within the Emirates, yet this diplomatic success now faces unexpected geopolitical risk.

This heightened caution is underscored by recent events, including the March 2025 sentencing to death of three men by a UAE court for the November 2024 murder of Rabbi Zvi Kogan, an incident explicitly ruled to have been committed with a “terrorist purpose,” demonstrating the tangible threat.

Despite the UAE’s generally well-regarded reputation for safety and stability, the NSC’s revised assessment serves as a crucial reminder that the nation is not immune to the wider regional spillover effects emanating from the escalating conflicts between Israel and various groups in Gaza and Iran, making UAE security a paramount concern for travelers.