Israel’s National Security Council and Foreign Ministry are urging citizens around the world to avoid protests and remain vigilant today after a former head of the terrorist Hamas group called for an international “Day of Rage” by Muslims around the world in response to the war.

“Against the background of the Swords of Iron war, the Hamas leadership issued a call to all their supporters in the world to hold a ‘Day of Rage’ this coming Friday (October 13), including a call to go out and harm Israelis and Jews,” the two agencies said in a joint statement Thursday. “From this it is likely that there will be protest events in various countries around the world, which may develop into violent events.”

Earlier this week, in a recorded statement sent to Arab and Western news agencies, a former Hamas chief now living in Doha, Qatar called on Muslims around the world to take to the streets Friday to protest Israel’s response to last weekend’s terrorist attacks. The former leader, Khaled Mashal, said Muslims should join in a “Jihad” and spill their own blood if necessary to fight “the Jews.”

“This is the time for Jihad to be applied on the ground rather than just in theory,” he said. “This is the hour of testing. This is the day and the moment we talked about all the time: The Zionists played with fire when they hit the Al-Aqsa Mosque. And I call on everyone at this time to take responsibility and do everything in their power for this war.”

Law enforcement officials in several western countries, including the United States, have stepped up security around Jewish places of worship and cultural institutions. Demonstrations are said to be planned in several European capitals as well as on college campuses across the United States.

In France, the interior minister, Gerald Darmanin, announced an outright ban on what news reports are calling pro-Palestinian demonstrations — but which are, in effect, anti-Israel demonstrations — in Paris and elsewhere in the country, citing the threat of potential disturbances. “The organization of these prohibited demonstrations should lead to arrests,” the minister said.

Despite the ban, thousands of people turned out for a protest in Paris’ Republic Square Thursday evening waving Palestinian flags and shouting “Free Palestine” and “End the siege of Gaza.” Police in riot gear fired tear gas and used water cannons to break up the demonstrations shortly after dark.

In New York City, officials with the police department have cancelled all vacations and ordered most uniformed officers to report to work Friday in anticipation of protests planned for Friday. Columbia University closed its campus to the public Thursday in anticipation of the protests.

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This story has been expanded from the bulldog.