Islamic State has stepped up attempted attacks against Israel since October 7, data shows
The group has attempted more attacks since the massacre than in the previous nine and a half years combined, according to a Washington Institute analysis.
Since October 7, 2023, when Hamas launched a surprise invasion of Israel, the Islamic State (IS) appears to be increasing its attempts to carry out attacks against the country, according to Aaron Zelin. Zelin, a senior fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, found that Israeli security forces have disrupted significantly more IS plots over the past three years compared to the period before the Hamas invasion.
While 50 IS-related arrest operations were carried out by Israeli forces in the nine and a half years prior to October 7, there were an additional 46 since the massacre.
The complexity of the IS plots has also evolved since October 7, with the group moving away from just spreading propaganda online and towards more direct attacks. Since the war began, IS has attempted 28 attacks, despite most of them failing. For instance, in late December 2023, Israeli forces arrested two individuals in east Jerusalem's Ras al-Amud neighborhood who were allegedly planning to detonate a truck loaded with explosives near the Knesset.
Similarly, a group of four men in Hebron, near the city of Tayibe, planned to manufacture and use 100 explosive devices against Israeli soldiers. In April 2024, Ahmed Dawabsha, inspired by IS, murdered a 14-year-old boy.
These evolving strategies are part of IS's broader effort to sway Palestinians away from Hamas, which IS considers an apostate and an Iranian proxy. In January 2024, IS spokesman Abu Hudhayfa al-Ansari urged Palestinians to fight "the Jews because they are Jews" and turn against Hamas. IS also aims to target Israel's regional allies and Jewish communities abroad.
Although IS has largely failed to carry out attacks in Israel, it has inspired deadly violence there in the past, such as the 2022 killing of two Border Police officers by Arab Israeli terrorists who claimed allegiance to ISIS. Israel has responded by expanding efforts to pursue IS networks beyond its territory, including nighttime raids and strikes in Syria.
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