Europe faces a “huge risk of terrorist attacks” over the Christmas holiday period due to the fallout from the war between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas, the European Union’s home affairs commissioner warned on Tuesday.
The warning came as French investigators probe a fatal weekend attack near the Eiffel Tower in Paris. Questions were raised about the mental health of the suspect, who swore allegiance to the extremist Islamic State group before stabbing a German-Filipino tourist to death and injuring two other people with a hammer.
“With the war between Israel and Hamas, and the polarisation it causes in our society, with the upcoming holiday season, there is a huge risk of terrorist attacks in the European Union,” EU Home Affairs Commissioner Ylva Johansson told reporters.
“We saw (it happening) recently in Paris, unfortunately we have seen it earlier as well,” she said, as EU interior ministers gathered in Brussels. She provided no details about any information that might have led to her warning. Her office did not immediately respond to requests for details.
In response to security concerns, European Commission member Johansson, overseeing security and immigration, announced an additional €30 million ($32.5 million) allocation to enhance security, with a particular focus on safeguarding vulnerable areas, including places of worship. This move reflects the Commission’s commitment to addressing evolving threats. Meanwhile, German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser expressed condolences to France following an attack, emphasizing the alarming and immediate danger posed by Islamist terrorism within the EU.
Faeser highlighted the connection between the ongoing conflict in Gaza and the actions of Hamas, underscoring their role in exacerbating the security situation. Her statements underscore the complex challenges faced by European nations in managing both internal security and the external factors influencing the threat landscape. The allocation of funds and the acknowledgment of these interconnected challenges signal a proactive stance in addressing security risks across the European Union.
