(The Situation Update Report [SUR] is a near real-time brief of a possible threat or situation being monitored by The Counter Threat Center. The information is accurate at the time of reporting, but may be subject to change.)
Iris Hautaniemi Forsberg, Ektoras Papadimitriou, Nicholas Novak, Gabriel Helupka;
Cameron Munoz, Senior Editor
October 13, 2023
Violence on the Streets[1]
Current Situation: In a video posted on Yemeni Al-Mahriah TV, former Hamas Political Bureau chairman Khaled Mashal called on Muslims worldwide to take to the streets on Friday, October 13. Mashal said Muslims should “send a message of rage” to support Hamas's war against Israel.[2] On October 13, there were reports about several violent incidents presumably connected to the war. In Beijing, China, a man stabbed an Israeli embassy worker in front of a supermarket and was later arrested.[3] In northern France, a 20-year-old man stabbed and killed a teacher and injured two others at the Lycee Gambetta High School. He allegedly shouted “Allahu Akbar” during the attack.[4] Due to the attack, France raised its terror threat level to the highest possible.[5] Other institutions and planned events were closed or canceled due to security concerns. In the Hague, Netherlands, staff and students were asked not to go to Leiden University’s Wijnhaven building.[6] In London, UK, three Jewish schools remained closed due to fears over planned pro-Palestinian rallies.[7] In New Zealand, the country’s only Jewish school and synagogues closed as a precautionary measure following Mashal’s call.[8] A theater performance featuring a Jewish performance artist in Gothenburg, Sweden, was also canceled.[9]
Day/Time of event: October 13, 2023
What is the current threat:
The attacks and threats against Israeli citizens are almost certainly linked to the ongoing war in Israel and Gaza. They will very likely continue to occur as Israel’s retaliatory attacks on Gaza increase, likely increasing calls from Hamas to enact revenge for Palestinian casualties. An Israeli Defense Force (IDF) ground invasion of Gaza will almost certainly increase the risk of threats to Jewish communities worldwide, with law enforcement very likely continuing to be on high alert for terrorist threats.
Future attacks will very likely target areas with a high presence of Israelis abroad, such as near Israeli embassies and Jewish communities. Perpetrators not officially affiliated with a terrorist organization, so-called lone wolf attackers, will likely answer Mashal’s call through continuous attacks with knives and light firearms.
Efforts to rally and recruit new followers worldwide to Hamas will very likely expand in the upcoming weeks. Other Islamist terrorist organizations, such as the Islamic State, al-Qaeda, and al-Shabaab, will very likely increase propaganda releases. They will very likely attempt to take advantage of a worldwide pro-Palestinian movement to boost sympathy for their cause.
Who will it directly impact:
Israeli citizens abroad
Israeli businesses and employees abroad
Jewish communities abroad
Israeli embassy personnel
The Counter Threat Center (CTC) is providing regular updates on the evolving situation and war between Israel and Hamas. This report is being provided under our Global Public Good mandate to assist in providing situational awareness and actionable intelligence to protect and save lives. If you or your organization need intelligence reports of this kind and more to protect you, your people, or your organization please subscribe. Try us for 7 days free. We work each day to detect, deter, and defeat terrorism and threats that cause harm through intelligence and other solutions. Click here to learn more: https://www.counterthreatcenter.com/subscriptions
[1] Violence by Unsplash
[2] CTG Threat Hunter via Al-Mahriah TV
[3] Ambassador Nicholas Burns, from X, via CyberHUMINT
[4] GDarmanin, from X, via CyberHUMINT
[5] Afpfr, from X, via CyberHUMINT
[6] Wijnhaven building closed on Friday, 13 October, Leiden University, October 2023, https://www.student.universiteitleiden.nl/en/announcements/2023/10/wijnhaven-building-closed-on-friday-13-october?cf=governance-and-global-affairs&cd=crisis-and-security-management-msc
[7] hoffman_noa, from X, via CyberHUMINT
[8] JulietMosesNZ, from X, via CyberHUMINT
[9] Canceled - Dance performance with Israel Aloni, Jewish Salon, October 2023, https://judiskasalongen.se/event/save-the-date-dansforestallning-med-israel-aloni/