The FBI is warning that threats in the U.S. have increased after the Hamas attack on Israel.
FBI Director Christopher Wray delivered the warning Saturday during a speech at the International Association of Chiefs of Police annual conference in San Diego.
"In this heightened environment, there's no question we're seeing an increase in reported threats, especially for lone actors who may take inspiration from recent events to commit violence of their own," Wray said, according to a transcript that was posted online.
Wray said that Jews and Muslims alike, as well as their institutions and houses of worship, have been threatened in the U.S. , and that the bureau is "moving quickly to mitigate" the threats.
"History has been witness to antisemitic and other forms of violent extremism for far too long. Whether that be from foreign terrorist organizations, or those inspired by them, or domestic violent extremists motivated by their own racial animus, the targeting of a community because of their faith is completely unacceptable," Wray continued. "We remain committed to continue confronting those threats — both here in the United States and overseas."
He also urged police chiefs to "stay vigilant" for any copycat acts of violence.
"I'd encourage you to stay vigilant, because as the first line of defense in protecting our communities, you're often the first to see the signs that someone may be mobilizing to violence," he said.
Wray doubled down on his warning in a rare phone briefing for reporters on Sunday.
"The threat is very much ongoing and in fact, the threat picture continues to evolve," Wray said, per CBS News. "Here in the U.S., we cannot and do not discount the possibility that Hamas or other foreign terrorist organizations could exploit the conflict to call on their supporters to conduct attacks on our own soil."
The warning came after major cities nationwide increased police patrols following calls from a former Hamas leader for a "Day of Jihad" on Oct. 13 in support of the recent attack on Israel.
Israel officially declared war on Hamas on Oct. 8, after the militant group fired roughly 2,200 rockets at Israel on Oct. 7. In retaliation, Israel fired rockets at Gaza. Thousands have died.