FBI director warns of heightened threats in US from Israel-Hamas war

The Israel-Hamas war has raised the threat of attacks against Americans in the United States to a “whole ‘nother level,” FBI Director Christopher Wray warns.

“We assess that the actions of Hamas and its allies will serve as an inspiration the likes of which we haven’t seen since (the Islamic State group) launched its so-called caliphate several years ago,” Wray tells the Senate Committee on Homeland Security.

“We also cannot and do not discount the possibility that Hamas or another foreign terrorist organization may exploit the current conflict to conduct attacks here on our own soil,” he says.

The head of the Federal Bureau of Investigation says the most significant threat was to Jewish and Muslim communities in the United States.

“Our most immediate concern is that violent extremists, individuals or small groups, will draw inspiration from the events of the Middle East and carry out attacks against Americans going about their daily lives,” he says.

“That includes not just homegrown violent extremists inspired by a foreign terrorist organization but also domestic violent extremists targeting Jewish or Muslim communities.”