The State Department warned Tuesday against travel to Israel and Gaza, and was “exploring contracts” with commercial airlines and contractors to help get U.S. citizens out of Israel.

The department raised the travel advisory to Israel and the West Bank to “Level 3” on Tuesday advising Americans to reconsider traveling to the area, while also raising travel to Gaza to “Level 4 — Do Not Go.”

“Terrorist groups, lone-actor terrorists and other violent extremists continue plotting possible attacks in Israel and the West Bank and Gaza,” the agency said on its website Tuesday. “Terrorists and violent extremists may attack with little or no warning, targeting tourist locations, transportation hubs, markets/shopping malls, and local government facilities. Violence can occur in Israel and the West Bank and Gaza without warning. There has been a marked increase in demonstrations throughout Israel, some with little or no warning.”

“For U.S. citizens who want to leave Israel, commercial flights are available even if they are not direct to the U.S.,” the agency said on its Facebook page Tuesday. “We are also exploring contract options to facilitate U.S. citizen travel to nearby countries and will provide updates to U.S. citizens who have registered via our online form.”

State Department representative Matt Miller said during a press briefing Monday that the department has been in contact with citizens inside of Israel who have lived there for a long time and are dual citizens as well as business travelers and tourists that may need help getting out of the region during the fighting there.

Miller said during the briefing: “The airport is still open; there are flights that are getting out of the airport in Tel Aviv. And so, we have encouraged people to make the — to try to avail themselves of those options. We have also been in conversation with various carriers to encourage them to consider resuming travel in and out of Israel, and we’ll continue to do that.”

• State Dept: At Least 22 Americans Killed in Hamas Terrorist Attack
• Former Israeli Ambassador to Newsmax: We Will Kill Hamas