FBI Warns Anniversary of October 7 Attacks May Motivate Individuals to Violence in the U.S.

FBI Warns Anniversary of October 7 Attacks May Motivate Individuals to Violence in the U.S.

Sadly, this comes as no surprise, especially after what we have witnessed on college campuses over the last year.

Anniversary of October 7, 2023 HAMAS Attacks May Motivate Individuals to Violence in the United Stateshttps://t.co/73LEZePSkL pic.twitter.com/a43TN4fiDK

— FBI (@FBI) October 4, 2024

From the announcement:

Summary

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and Department of Homeland Security (DHS) are issuing this Public Service Announcement to highlight potential threats in the United States from a variety of actors in response to the one-year anniversary of the HAMAS attacks on Israel on October 7, 2023, and consistent calls by foreign terrorist organizations (FTOs) to their supporters seeking to provoke violence in the West.

Threat

The FBI and DHS assess the one-year anniversary of the October 7, 2023, attacks that initiated the ongoing Israel-HAMAS conflict, as well as any further significant escalations in the conflict, may be a motivating factor for violent extremists and hate crime perpetrators to engage in violence or threaten public safety. Over the past year, we have observed violent extremist activity and hate crimes1 in the United States linked to the conflict. 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. Such actors may view the anniversary as an opportunity to conduct an attack or other high-profile, illegal activity.

FTOs and other violent extremists likely will continue to exploit narratives related to the conflict to call for lone attackers to conduct violence in the United States. 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. Individuals inspired by this online messaging could act alone to commit an attack with little to no warning.

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