Growing Fears of Hamas Attacking the West

Written by Jack Elbaum

What’s happening: There is growing concern that operatives from Hamas, along with other anti-Israel and Iran-backed terrorist groups, have infiltrated Western nations and may attack.

Why the concern? Three suspected Hamas fighters were arrested in Germany after planning to obtain weapons and eventually use them to target Jewish institutions. Hezbollah operatives and financiers have also been arrested in the U.S., fueling heightened risk assessments by intelligence officials.

• Important: U.S. intelligence has determined that Hezbollah has both the capabilities and desire to attack American troops or diplomats overseas and American citizens directly on U.S. soil.

• Also, while a large-scale attack against Jewish institutions in Brazil was thwarted, there have been successful terrorist attacks in both France and Belgium since Oct. 7.

• More: In 2023, 151 people from the U.S. government’s consolidated terrorism watchlist were apprehended at the Southern border — a significant spike since 2017, when the number was only two.

Nothing new: It is not far-fetched to believe that these groups could attack outside of Israel. In 1992, a Hezbollah-linked Palestinian terrorist group killed 29 people when it bombed the Israeli embassy in Argentina. In 1994, the same group killed 85 in a suicide bombing in Buenos Aires and 21 in Panama by blowing up a plane.

• Out in the open: Hamas has previously warned that it seeks to bring the entire world under Islamic rule, starting with Israel.

Why it matters: Most Western countries have been insulated from the bloodshed in the Middle East. However, the facts suggest that the battle could soon move to our backyard.