FBI Director Chris Ray warned at a Senate hearing that attacks by the Hamas group on Israel could provoke threats to the United States similar to those that in the past emanated from ISIS (a terrorist organization banned in Russia), Interfax reports.
“We believe that the actions of Hamas and their allies can inspire someone to take actions similar to those that we have not encountered since the days of ISIS. In the last few weeks alone, a number of terrorist organizations have called for attacks against Americans and the West,” Ray said.
“The reality is that throughout 2023, the terrorist threat continues to grow, but the ongoing conflict in the Middle East has brought this threat to Americans in the United States to a completely different level,” he continued. “Now is not the time to panic, but the time for vigilance.”
“We are closely following the latest developments and the intentions of such (terrorist) groups. Law enforcement officers have not yet encountered any specific terrorist threats against Americans in the United States, but it is necessary to maintain vigilance,” the head of the FBI stressed.
Intelligence analysts tend to believe that the greatest threat to Americans, especially to Jewish and Muslim communities, are lone radicals reacting to the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas.
