US cities boost security as fears spread over Israel-Hamas war despite lack of credible threats

BOSTON (AP) — Police in New York, Los Angeles, and other U.S. cities increased patrols, authorities put up fencing around the U.S. Capitol and some schools closed Friday amid fears of violence inspired by the Israel-Hamas war. But law enforcement officials stressed there were no credible threats in the U.S.

A former Hamas leader's call for a day of rage put American Jewish communities on edge, and sparked heightened security around houses of worship, schools and cultural institutions. The jitters were a sign of just how much the war between Israel and Hamas is reverberating around the world, striking fear in communities even in the absence of a credible threat.

Law enforcement officials said they were on high alert for violence driven by antisemitic or Islamophobic sentiments in the wake of the Hamas attack on Israel. Jewish and Muslim groups have reported an increase of hateful and threatening rhetoric on social media.

“We cannot and do not discount the possibility that Hamas or and other foreign terrorist organizations could exploit the conflict to call on their supporters to conduct attacks here on our own soil,” FBI Director Christopher Wray told Jewish community leaders at a security briefing on Thursday.