The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the US Department of Homeland Security warned of possible extremist violence in the country on October 7, the first anniversary of the Palestinian Hamas attack on southern Israel, which began armed conflict in the Gaza Strip and a large-scale escalation in the region.
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“The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Department of Homeland Security are issuing this public service announcement to draw attention to potential threats in the United States from various actors in light of the first anniversary of the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, 2023 and the continued calls by foreign terrorist organizations to their proxies to provoke violence in the West,” a joint statement by the two departments said.
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According to the FBI and the department, October 7 could be a “motivating factor” for extremists and individuals committing hate crimes.
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On October 7, 2023, Israel was subjected to an unprecedented rocket attack from the Gaza Strip. After this, fighters from the Palestinian Hamas movement entered the border areas, opened fire on military and civilians, and took more than 200 hostages. According to authorities, about 1.2 thousand people died.
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The Israel Defense Forces launched Operation Iron Swords in the Gaza Strip, which included attacks on civilian targets. Israel announced a complete blockade of the enclave: supplies of water, electricity, fuel, food and medicine were stopped. The death toll in Israeli strikes on the Gaza Strip since October 7, 2023 has exceeded 39.5 thousand people, and more than 91 thousand have been injured.
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The Gaza Strip has effectively been divided into southern and northern parts; Israel is conducting a ground operation in Rafah, which is considered the last stronghold of Hamas.
