Israel’s Foreign Affairs Ministry, in coordination with its Shin Bet intelligence services, decided Thursday to recall its diplomatic delegation in Rabat over fear of retaliatory attacks by Iran after seven Iranian officers were killed in a strike in Damascus widely attributed to Israel, Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth reported on Sunday.
Several Israeli embassies in other countries have also been shuttered, with Israeli ambassadors having been instructed not to report to work at the embassy buildings.
Israeli embassies worldwide had already heightened their levels of vigilance as a result of the Gaza war, prompting the Foreign Ministry to recall seven diplomatic missions in Egypt, Jordan, Bahrain, Morocco, Ankara, Istanbul, and Turkmenistan since October 7.
An Israeli envoy abroad noted that steps had been taken to protect the families of Israeli envoys following the outbreak of fighting in Gaza. The situation has become more complex after the recent strike in Damascus, with children of Israeli diplomats attending international schools alongside children from Muslim countries.
An Israeli Foreign Affairs Ministry official noted that Guidelines in Israeli embassies in certain countries have become so strict that envoys are no longer allowed to leave their homes or go shopping.
Diplomats have also been instructed to enhance their vigilance, change their routines and routes, and minimize movement altogether.
Last Monday, Israel bombed the Iranian embassy in the Mezzeh district of Damascus, Syria, reportedly killing seven Iranian military advisers, including Mohammad Reza Zahedi, a senior commander in Iran’s Quds Force, an elite foreign espionage and paramilitary arm.
Iran’s ambassador to Syria Hossain Akbari said the strike hit a consular building in the embassy compound, the top two floors of which is his residence.
In response to this escalation, Iran vowed to seek revenge on Israel for the airstrike that killed its senior generals and military advisors within its sovereign territory, destroying the diplomatic facility next to the main Iranian embassy building.
Israel still has not claimed responsibility for the bombing, but the US has “assessed” that Israel was responsible, Pentagon spokeswoman Sabrina Singh said on Tuesday.