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EU faces 'huge' risk of terrorist attacks, says official

December 5, 2023

The war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza is heightening the terror risk in the EU, according to the bloc's home affairs commissioner. The warning comes after a German tourist was killed in a knife attack in Paris.

https://p.dw.com/p/4Zncj
French gendarmes patrol the Trocadero plaza near the Eiffel Tower
A man targeted passers-by in Paris, killing a German tourist with a knife and injuring two othersImage: Christophe Ena/AP Photo/picture alliance

European Union member states are facing a "huge risk of terrorist attacks" over the holiday season due to the ongoing war in the Gaza Strip, EU Home Affairs Commissioner Ylva Johansson said on Tuesday.

Speaking ahead of a meeting of EU interior ministers in Brussels, Johansson referred to a Saturday's knife attack in Paris, where one German tourist was killed and two people were injured. The attacker reportedly pledged allegiance to the so-called "Islamic State" (IS) and expressed anguish about Muslims dying, notably in the Palestinian territories.

He had also been under close psychological surveillance for mental health issues.

"With the war between Israel and Hamas and the polarization it causes in our society, with the upcoming holiday season, there is a huge risk of terrorist attacks in the European Union," Johansson said.

"We saw [it happening] recently in Paris, unfortunately, we have seen it earlier as well," Johansson added. She provided no details about information that might have led to her warning.

Security in Europe amid the Israel-Hamas War

Johansson also announced that the EU would make available an additional €30 million (about $32.4 million) for "protection of, for example, places of worship."

German minister wants to combat Islamist propaganda

Meanwhile, German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser said Saturday's attack in Paris highlights "just how acute and how serious the threat posed by Islamist terrorism is currently in the EU."

"The war in Gaza and the terror of Hamas are causing this situation," she said. "The danger of further emotionalization and radicalization of Islamist perpetrators is high."

"We need to keep a particularly close eye on Islamist threats right now and work together with neighboring countries to combat Islamist propaganda," Faeser added.

Germany, along with several other countries, has designated Hamas a terror organization. 

During the meeting in Brussels, EU interior ministers are expected to discuss security in the bloc in light of the wars in the Middle East and Ukraine. The EU's visa-free Schengen area and progress on the bloc's asylum and migration reform are also on the agenda.

dh/nm (dpa, AP)