Travel advice for the Netherlands has been amended after the country raised its terror attack threat level on Tuesday for the first time since 2019.
The Foreign Office warned that the increased threat level “means that there is a real chance of a terrorist attack in the Netherlands”.
The Netherlands National Coordinator for Counter-terrorism and Security (NCTV), said in a statement it had raised the country’s threat level to four, or “substantial” on a five-step scale, citing the conflict between Israel and Hamas.
“Organisations like ISIS and Al Qaeda are using the war in Gaza to urge sympathisers to carry out attacks in the West,” Reuters reported the agency as saying.
“Attacks and arrests in France, Germany, Belgium and the United Kingdom since early October illustrate the risks posed by radicalised individuals who are inspired by current events and terrorist organisations.”
If the agency had information about a specific attack being planned in the Netherlands it would raise the threat level to five, or “critical”.
The updated Foreign Office travel advice said: “Attacks could be indiscriminate, including in places frequented by foreigners.
“You should remain aware of your surroundings, keep up to date with local media reports and follow the advice of local authorities.”
It highlighted recent attacks, including four people being killed and six injured in a shooting incident in Utrecht in 2019 and two people being seriously injured in a 2018 knife attack at Amsterdam Central Station.