(JNS) According to the head of the nation’s top law-enforcement agency, the war with Hamas in the Gaza Strip “has raised the threat of an attack against Americans in the United States to a whole ’nother level.”

On Tuesday, FBI director Christopher Wray spoke with the House Committee on Homeland Security, explaining the nature of domestic current dangers. He said that now was not a time to panic, “but it is a time for vigilance” and that “we are in a dangerous period.”

Wray said that “our most immediate concern is that violent extremists—individuals or small groups—will draw inspiration from the events in the Middle East to carry out attacks against Americans going about their daily lives.” 

Wray cautioned that potential attacks inspired by the conflict could resemble the violence of ISIS.

“In just the past few weeks, multiple foreign terrorist organizations have called for attacks against Americans and the West,” he said. “We have no information to indicate that Hamas has the intent or capability to conduct operations inside the U.S., though we cannot, and do not, discount that possibility.”