The U.S. Capitol Police is enhancing security throughout the Capitol on Friday after the leaders of Hamas , a terrorist group that attacked Israel , called for a global day of protests.
The Capitol Police said in a statement to the Washington Examiner that, while there are no specific threats to Congress , “We are not taking any chances.”
“We are enhancing security throughout the Capitol Complex. Some of what we are doing will be visible, but for safety reasons, we cannot provide the public details about all of the resources that we are putting into protecting the Congress,” the Capitol Police said. “Our dedicated teams are working around the clock to coordinate with our law enforcement and intelligence partners across the country to keep everyone safe.”
The FBI said on Thursday that it was working with law enforcement nationwide to monitor the response to calls from former Hamas leader Khaled Meshaal for all Muslims to join the battle against Israel.
“[We must] head to the squares and streets of the Arab and Islamic world on Friday,” Meshaal, who heads Hamas’s diaspora office, said in a recorded statement sent to Reuters.
“Tribes of Jordan, sons of Jordan, brothers and sisters of Jordan … this is a moment of truth, and the borders are close to you. You all know your responsibility,” Meshaal, who is based in Qatar, said.
Israel declared war on Hamas on Sunday, the first time the nation has declared war since 1973.
“The FBI is aware of open-source reports about calls for global action on Friday, October 13th that may lead to demonstrations in communities throughout the United States,” the FBI said Thursday via Fox News. “We are working closely with our law enforcement partners across the country to share information and identify and disrupt any threats that may emerge.”
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The agency is urging the public to report anything suspicious to authorities.
The death toll on both sides of the conflict was at about 2,500 as of Thursday morning. The White House announced Thursday that 27 Americans were killed in the attacks and that 14 are still missing.