Hamas attack will inspire greatest US terror threat since Isis, FBI chief says
- Christopher Wray says since the start of the conflict in Gaza, multiple foreign terrorist organisations have called for attacks against Americans and the West
- Meanwhile, the number of attacks on US military bases overseas by Iran-backed militia groups has risen
The attack by Hamas on Israel will inspire the most significant terror threat to the United States since the rise of Isis nearly a decade ago, US Federal Bureau of Investigation Director Christopher Wray said at a congressional hearing on Tuesday.
Wray said that since the start of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in Gaza earlier this month, multiple foreign terrorist organisations have called for attacks against Americans and the West, raising the threat posed by home-grown US violent extremists.
“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.
The remarks came during a hearing before the US Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee focused on threats to the United States. The US government has seen an increase in threats against Jews, Muslims and Arab-Americans since fighting broke out in Gaza, officials have said.
The number of attacks on US military bases overseas by Iran-backed militia groups has risen this month, Wray said. Cyberattacks against the United States by Iran and non-state actors will likely worsen if the conflict expands, he said.