No Threat to New York Jewish Community Amid Gaza Escalation, Police Say

NEW YORK (Sputnik) - Local law enforcement detects no threats or nexus to the New York City Jewish community in connection to the Hamas attack on Israel, a New York City Police Department spokesperson told Sputnik.

Violent clashes broke out in New York City between hundreds of pro-Israeli and pro-Palestinian protesters the last time violence significantly escalated between Israel and Hamas forces in May 2021.

"We are aware of the situation and continue to monitor for further developments. At this time there is no known threat nor nexus to New York City," the spokesperson said on Saturday night.

According to Mayor Eric Adams, New York City has the largest Jewish population in the world outside of Israel.

Adams said in an earlier statement that New York City had resources on the ground in Israel gathering intelligence, and city officials were continually monitoring multiple channels to identify any potential threats, both in New York City and abroad.

"We have directed the NYPD to deploy additional resources to Jewish communities and houses of worship citywide to ensure that our communities have the resources they need to make sure everyone feels safe," Adams said.

Israel was hit by an unprecedented rocket attack from the Gaza Strip on Saturday morning. The Israeli army said Hamas fired more than 3,000 rockets, adding that dozens of Hamas troops infiltrated border areas in southern Israel. The Israeli military has since sent troops to the southern territories to reconquer them from the Palestinian forces.

Israeli media reported earlier in the day that over 300 people were killed and more than 1,500 others were injured in Israel as a result of the escalation of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. At the same time, the Palestinian Health Ministry said that more than 195 people have been killed and over 1,600 injured in Israeli airstrikes on the Gaza Strip.