Experts: “Extremist forces are raising their heads again due to Israel’s airstrikes on the Gaza Strip”
As new terrorist threats are rising in the Middle East and the West due to the Israel-Hamas conflict, Islamic extremist terrorist groups al-Qaeda and Islamic State (IS) have called on their followers to attack Israeli and American targets, British daily Guardian reported on the 22nd. It was reported on Sunday (local time).
According to reports, al Qaeda factions have supported Hamas’ raid on southern Israel on the 7th, which killed about 1,500 people in statements made over the past two weeks.
The Israeli military retaliated with an airstrike on the Gaza Strip, resulting in more than 4,500 deaths and a humanitarian crisis. These large-scale airstrikes caused anger among Muslims.
Experts said Israel’s airstrikes stimulated Islamic extremists.
Al-Shabab, an offshoot of al-Qaeda in Somalia, said in a recent statement that the Middle East conflict was “not just a battle of Islamic factions on Palestinian soil, but a battle of the entire Muslim community.”
Al-Shabaab added, “Muslims must unite and do everything they can for the mujahidin against the Jews and their hypocritical infidel allies.”
Al Qaeda branches in the Indian subcontinent, Yemen and Syria also issued similar statements.
According to the conflict website ‘Long War Journal’, al-Qaeda branches in northern and western Africa supported Hamas’ attacks and called for additional violence targeting Israel.
Western officials are concerned about a resurgence of Islamic extremist violence. The heads of the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and Britain’s Domestic Intelligence Service (M15) warned last week that the Jewish community, the West and others could face attacks from lone actors, Iran or armed groups. Even before the Gaza war, European officials warned that Islamic terrorism could increase on the continent.
M15 director Ken McCollum said there was a high risk that radical, homegrown terrorists formed online would respond in an ‘impulsive and unpredictable way’ in the UK following terrorist attacks on Israel.
The Dutch security service warned in May that the Islamic State terror threat to Europe had grown, and in the same month, France’s interior minister said the threat from Islamic terrorism was rising again and that France, as well as neighboring countries, could be targeted.
Earlier this month, a teacher in France was stabbed to death by an assailant who pledged allegiance to IS, and in Brussels, Belgium, two Swedish soccer fans were killed after being attacked by a 45-year-old security guard steeped in Islamic extremism.
Al Qaeda has been critical of groups such as Hamas and Hezbollah, and does not have much influence in Gaza or the West Bank. Al Qaeda shares some goals and ideologies with Hamas and Hezbollah, but differences also exist. Al Qaeda has been critical of both groups’ administration and government intervention.
IS supported Hamas’ fight against Israel, but was critical of Hamas’s links with Iran and its focus on Israel. IS is a Sunni armed group, and Iran is a Shiite suzerain country.
Al-Qaeda and IS, whose power was weakened by the fight against the U.S. and other coalition forces due to their rivalry, are working hard to recruit new members. IS lost its caliphate in Syria and Iraq, and al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri was killed in a drone attack last year.
Source: Donga
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.