Displaying items by tag: Terrorism

The recent decision by the Israeli parliament to ban UNRWA from operating in Israel and Gaza has met with widespread condemnation. Israel has justified the decision by citing alleged links between some UNRWA staff and Hamas, but said it will continue cooperating with other UN agencies on humanitarian assistance for Palestinians. UNRWA has been labelled a terrorist organisation, and all official contact with the Israeli government has been blocked. This decision, opposed by the USA and other nations, raises concerns over worsening humanitarian conditions in Gaza, where more than 1.9 million have been displaced. A UNICEF spokesman has warned that without UNRWA, critical necessities such as food, water, and medicine could not be distributed effectively. That would likely cause the collapse of Gaza’s fragile humanitarian system.

British radical Islamist preacher Anjem Choudary, 57, was sentenced to life imprisonment on Tuesday for directing a terrorist organisation. He was convicted of leading al-Muhajiroun, a group banned as a terrorist organisation over a decade ago, and encouraging support for it. 'Organisations such as yours normalise violence in support of an ideological cause,' the judge told him, adding, ‘Such groups embolden individuals to commit acts they might otherwise avoid and disrupt peaceful coexistence.’ Choudary received a life sentence with a minimum term of 28 years before parole eligibility, minus the year he has already spent in custody. Once Britain's most prominent Islamist preacher, he had praised the 9/11 attackers and expressed a desire to convert Buckingham Palace into a mosque. He was imprisoned in 2016 for supporting IS and released in 2018 after serving half of his sentence. He stood trial with Canadian Khaled Hussein, 29, who was sentenced to five years for membership in a proscribed organisation.

At least twenty people have been killed in a series of shootings in Dagestan on 24 June. The attacks targeted a synagogue, an Orthodox church, and a traffic police post. Among the victims were fifteen law enforcement officers and civilians, including an Orthodox priest. The synagogue and church were set on fire before the attackers fled. The authorities say that five gunmen were later shot dead, and two sons of a local district head were arrested. The regional governor called it a ‘day of tragedy’ and declared three days of mourning in the predominantly Muslim region. Russia's national anti-terrorism committee attributed the attacks to ‘terrorists’, though no group claimed responsibility. This incident follows a major attack on a concert hall in Moscow three months ago, which killed 145 people​.

A 31-year-old man from Bedfordshire has been arrested on suspicion of terrorism offences after police discovered 'suspicious substances' at his home. Initially arrested on 6 May for causing explosions likely to endanger life and possessing Class A drugs, the man was found with several suspicious items. Bedfordshire Police conducted a small controlled explosion last week and informed the Metropolitan Police's counter-terrorism officers. The man was bailed while investigations continued but was re-arrested on Tuesday on suspicion of possessing articles for terrorist purposes. The police reported finding numerous items and substances at his address, which are being safely removed by specialist officers. They assured the public that there is no risk to local residents or the wider community. Locals described the man as living with his parents, with his mother stating he collected chemicals. She maintained it was unrelated to terrorism and that police were being over-cautious.

On 29 April a gunman attacked a mosque in western Afghanistan, killing six people. The mosque, reportedly belonging to Afghanistan's minority Shia community, was targeted during prayer. Among the victims was a prayer leader. IS has claimed responsibility for the attack, consistent with their history of targeting Shia communities. Despite the Taliban government's pledge to protect religious and ethnic minorities since assuming power in August 2021, little has been done. The deadliest recent attack linked to IS occurred in 2022 in Kabul, resulting in 53 deaths, primarily girls and young women. A UN report in January noted a decrease in IS attacks due to Taliban counter-terrorism efforts, but said that the group still had ‘the ability to project a threat into the region and beyond’ - as shown by the deadly attack in a Moscow nightclub in March, for which IS has claimed responsibility.

Sydney is reeling after two knife attacks within three days. At Bondi Junction, Joel Cauchi, who had a history of mental illness, killed six people and injured others. At a church in Wakeley, a teenager injured a bishop and several others, but there were no fatalities. Despite both incidents causing fear, they have been treated differently by authorities. The Wakeley stabbing was declared a terror incident, while the Bondi Junction attack was not. This has caused puzzlement: the local Islamic Council ‘found it bewildering’, and said, ‘The signal this sends to the Australian community is that terrorism is solely reserved for Muslims.’ The investigation into the Bondi Junction attack continues, focusing on the perpetrator's motives and actions. One of the men who confronted Cauchi has been promised a renewal of his temporary visa: see

The sixth Paris Peace Forum, on 10 and 11 November, will focus on four different topics. Emmanuel Macron, along with Barbadian PM Mia Mottley and several African leaders, will assess the progress of the ‘Paris Pact for People and the Planet’, launched in June, which aims to provide substantial funding to combat poverty and climate change, in preparation for December’s COP28 in Dubai. An appeal will be launched to address the ‘collapse’ of ‘all ice surfaces on a global scale.’States affected by glacier loss, such as Nepal and Kyrgyzstan, will participate, as will China and India. Although Russia, a major Arctic actor, will not participate due to the conflict in Ukraine, the Elysée asserts that this will not be an obstacle to cooperation between other countries. Macron will also preside over the fifth Christchurch Call Summit, launched with New Zealand after the terrorist attack in Christchurch in 2019, aiming to enhance efforts to ‘combat terrorist and violent extremist content online’. Another top priority for Macron is to regulate digital platforms and artificial intelligence.

The British royal family has publicly condemned Hamas as terrorists and expressed their dismay at the attacks on Israel. King Charles and the Prince and Princess of Wales have all criticised the group's actions. The comments come as the BBC faces pressure to refer to Hamas as terrorists rather than militants. The controversy regarding this reluctance has sparked debate among political figures and former executives. The BBC has defended its stance, stating that using the term ‘terrorist’ could compromise journalistic impartiality. Critics argue that by not using the term, the BBC is taking sides, and claim that it fails to accurately report acts of terrorism and war crimes. Despite the debate, the royal family remains focused on supporting interfaith and inter-community dialogue and promoting peace and understanding in challenging times. The King has a history of engaging in peace efforts in the region, including visits to Israel and the West Bank.

The Hezbollah terror group has recently raised the frequency of provocations on Israel's northern border. On 12 July angry rioters went to the security fence on Israel's northern border with Lebanon to light fires and hurl rocks. Israel’s soldiers (IDF) were forced to fire warning shots to disperse them. Also, recent missile fire near Ghajar only barely missed a military vehicle. A different result would have utterly changed the situation in northern Israel. Hezbollah has illegally erected several tents within the Mount Dov area and has coerced Lebanon’s government into asserting additional claims on Israel, demanding they remove a fence securing the village of Ghajar. ‘No one knows when it will happen, but war is just a matter of time. We are on high alert. There are provocations on the border fence’, said the IDF commander.

Arab reports indicate a Palestinian terror group based in Syria with ties to Iran and Hezbollah is actively preparing for a new series of attacks inside Israel. Speaking from Syria, Fadi Malach, commander of the Galilean Wolves, said, ‘We are in the midst of preparations for a series of additional operations inside Israel, despite Israel’s warning to Hezbollah, who might go on another adventure.’ Malach also said that his group was responsible for a roadside bombing at the Megiddo Junction in northern Israel on 13 March, which injured an Israeli motorist. The man who planted the bomb was subsequently killed by Israeli soldiers while driving back towards the Lebanese border. Explosives and a weapon were found in the vehicle, and the terrorist wore a suicide bomb belt. Malach said Galilean Wolves have been active since 2004, in an effort to liberate Galilee in the first stage, and they are not co-opted by Iran.