“Over the past year, we have observed violent extremist activity and hate crimes in the United States linked to the conflict,” the FBI and DHS said.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) have issued a statement warning of potential violence on the first anniversary of the Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel by the Hamas terrorist group.
The anniversary of the attack that ignited the ongoing Israel–Hamas conflict could be a “motivating factor” for extremists to commit hate crimes and threaten public safety.
“Over the past year, we have observed violent extremist activity and hate crimes in the United States linked to the conflict,” the federal organizations said in a joint statement. “Jewish, Muslim, or Arab institutions—including synagogues, mosques/Islamic centers, and community centers—and large public gatherings, such as memorials, vigils, or other lawful demonstrations, present attractive targets for violent attacks or for hoax threats by a variety of threat actors, including violent extremists and hate crime perpetrators.”
These actors may see the anniversary as an opportunity to orchestrate an attack or conduct other illegal activity leading to terrorist acts, the agencies said.
Foreign terrorist organizations (FTOs) are expected to continue to “exploit narratives” connected with the attacks to perpetuate violence, the agencies said.
“Online messaging associated with FTOs and other violent extremists highlighting the one-year anniversary of the October 7 attacks could motivate threat actors across ideologies, including those who espouse violent anti-Semitism and Islamophobia, to engage in violence,” the agencies said. “Individuals inspired by this online messaging could act alone to commit an attack with little to no warning.”
