FBI Director Christopher Wray on Tuesday warned that the threat of a terror attack against Americans has been raised to a "whole other level" due to ongoing conflict in the Middle East.
"The reality is that the terrorism threat has been elevated throughout 2023, but the ongoing war in the Middle East has raised the threat of an attack against Americans in the United States to a whole other level," Wray told lawmakers on the Senate Homeland Security Committee, Fox News reports.
"We assess that the actions of Hamas and its allies will serve as an inspiration, the likes of which we haven't seen since ISIS launched its so-called caliphate several years ago," Wray said. "In just the past few weeks, multiple foreign terrorist organizations have called for attacks against Americans and the West."
Wray warned that the most immediate concern is that individuals or small groups will draw inspiration from the events to attack Americans, including homegrown violent extremists who are inspired by foreign terrorist organizations, or by domestic violent extremists who are targeting Muslim or Jewish targets.
A DHS spokesperson said this week that the U.S. remains in a heightened threat environment and recent events reinforce that.
"As the Israel-Hamas conflict continues, we have seen an increase in reports of threats against Jewish, Muslim, and Arab communities and institutions. Lone offenders, motivated by a range of violent ideologies, pose the most likely threat. We urge the public to stay vigilant and to promptly report suspicious activity to local law enforcement," the spokesperson said in a statement.
