GRG Terrorism and Counter Terrorism Update

Welcome to this weeks edition of the Gorstra Research Group Terrorism and Counter Terrorism Update. This week, we will take a look at the terrorist attack in France, evolutions in the regulation of cyber-security, and the ongoing crisis in Israel/Palestine.

Israel/Palestine: Hamas Launches Large-Scale Attack Against Israel Prompting Severe Retaliation

On Saturday the 7th of October, the terrorist group Hamas launched a series of attacks from the Gaza strip into Southern Israel. This has included an attack on the Supernova music festival in which over 250 civilians were killed, rocket barrages targeting settlements across Israel including Jerusalem, and physical attacks on Kibbutz, settlements near the border with Gaza, leading to the capture and killing of Israeli Defence Force (IDF) members as well as the kidnapping of civilians. In response, Israel declared a state of war with the express purpose of eliminating Hamas and ending its rule over the Gaza strip, Benjamin Netanyahu stating, “What we will do to our enemies in the coming days will reverberate with them for generations.” This has been followed by a series of airstrikes which, as of October 11th, have left 260,000 people displaced in the Gaza strip, as well as the cutting off of water (which has since been reversed), fuel, and electricity by Israel for the strip. Israel has asked all civilians living in the Gaza strip to move to the South, implying a full scale invasion of the strip although Hamas has told civilians to stay where they are. This is a key issue in the conflict, with many international organisations fearing that attacks against Gaza could lead to enormous civilian casualties. This prompted the IDF to announce on Saturday the 14th of October the creation of two routes with safe passage for civilians to escape their target zone, although many in Gaza are reluctant to take this offer following the death of 70 civilians in the wake of a bombing on a previously ordained evacuation route and the targeting of Red Crescent ambulances by the Israeli Air Force.

The conflict has had huge international resonance on both sides. The United States has announced unequivocal support for Israel whilst Ukraine’s President Zelensky offered to visit Israel in solidarity. However, many states in the Middle East, notably Iran and Qatar, have offered their support to Hamas. Already, the conflict has moved beyond self-contained borders. Questions of refugees in Egypt, the conflict spilling over into Lebanon, and the bombing of Damascus and Aleppo airport reflecting concerns in the region. Even further afield, spikes in anti-Jewish hate crime have been noted globally with incidents quadrupling in the UK following the invasion. Ultimately, this conflict has shown to be extremely polarising, rallies of support held for both sides of the conflict, a dangerous prospect in such a complicated situation and such a complicated world-context in which serious questions, such as the invasion of Ukraine, still abound.

UK: Metropolitan Police Officers Continue to Wear Badges Linked to The Far-Right

The Thin Blue Line was initially created as a symbol for fallen officers but it has been adopted by many far-right and white supremacist groups prompting Met Police Commissioner, Mark Rowley, to ban officers from wearing the symbol. In 2017, the badge became a common sight at white supremacist rallies in the US and has also been visible on officers at BLM protests and as an emblem during the US Capitol insurrection in 2021. In 2020, far-right groups regarded as domestic terrorists, including the Proud Boyds, Oath Keepers militia, and Patriot Prayer, began frequently using the TBL flag as a central symbol. Despite this, images of Met Police officers wearing Thin Blue Line patches have emerged. Most recently, while policing a stand-off between LGBTQ+ allies and a rightwing group in Honor Oak, London.

France: Islamist Attack on School Raises National Threat Level

Around 11 a.m. local time on Friday, a student at the Lycee Gambetta-Carnot High School in Arras, Northern France, stabbed and killed Dominique Bernard, a French language teacher, after shouting “Allahu Akbar”. Two other members of staff were also injured in the attack. The perpetrator was Mohamed Mogouchkov, a 20-year-old Russian national of Chechen origin, who was known to police for his involvement with Islamist extremism prior to the attack as he alarmed teachers with his radicalised ideas and language. He has been arrested alongside his brother and the counter-terrorism threat in France has been raised to the highest level. This allows 7,000 troops to be mobilised as quickly as possible in case of another attack. Following this, on Saturday morning both the Louvre and the Palace of Versailles were evacuated and closed due to separate security incidents.?

Ukraine: The Internation Committee of the Red Cross Publishes First-Ever Rules of Engagement for Civilian Hackers

The ICRC are responsible for overseeing the rules of war has published eight rule aimed at cyber-gangs in response to the rise in patriotic hacking as a form of warfare. The war in Ukraine has seen blurred boundaries between civilian and military hacking. Based on international humanitarian law, the rules state that cyber-attacks should not be directed at civilian objects, objects indispensable to the survival of the population or that can release dangerous forces, medical and humanitarian facilities. The rules also forbid the use of indiscriminate malware and advise to do everything feasible to minimise or avoid civilian impact. Further, Threats of violence to spread terror among civilian populations and actions that incite violations of international humanitarian law are banned. These rules must be followed even if the ‘enemy’ does not comply with them. These rules set a helpful precedent to protect civilians in the ever-evolving environment of modern day warfare, however some cyber-gangs, including Killnet and Anonymous Sudan, have claimed that they intend to ignore the rules.

EU: TikTok and Europol collaborate for Referral Action Day to Remove Terrorist Content?

In a consequential manoeuvre to identify online extremist content, a wide-reaching Referral Action Day on the 28th of September witnessed the collaboration between TikTok, Europol and 11 different EU countries. As part of it, TikTok, boasting a 95% removal rate, reviewed 2,145 videos associated with jihadism or violent right-wing extremism. Spain and the EU Internet Referral Unit (EU IRU) played a vital role in leading this long-standing public-private initiative, working in sync with the law enforcement agencies of other countries. Europol has also undertaken similar efforts with various online platforms, advancing the ongoing fight against online radicalisation and preserving fundamental rights.

Pakistan: Pakistan announces repatriation of Afghan citizens without legal status amid rise in terrorist attacks

Interim Interior Minister Sarfraz Bugti claimed that Afghan nationals carried out 14 out of the 24 terrorist attacks that took place in Pakistan this year. Bugti announced that all undocumented migrants residing illegally in Pakistan must leave the country by November 1st. Pakistan is one of the world's largest refugee-hosting countries, and according to the UN Nation’s refugee agency, Pakistan hosts more than 1.3 million Afghan refugees and 427,000 people in “refugee-like situations'' from Afghanistan. UN agencies warned that forced repatriation of Afghan nationals could result in severe human rights violations.

This weeks edition was written and edited by Claudia Concha , Joe Earnshaw, Khushi Nagpal and Jennifer Young.