Europe faces a “high risk of terrorist attacks” during the Christmas holidays due to the consequences of the war between Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas, European Union Home Affairs Commissioner Ilva Johansson warned today.
The warning comes as French authorities investigate a fatal attack last weekend near the Eiffel Tower in Paris. Questions have been raised about the mental health of the suspect, who pledged allegiance to the Islamic State extremist group before stabbing a German-Filipino tourist to death and wounding two others with a hammer.
“With the war between Israel and Hamas and the polarization it is causing in our society, with the upcoming holiday season, there is a huge risk of terrorist attacks in the European Union,” the EU commissioner told reporters.
She added that the European Commission will provide an additional 30 million euros ($32.5 million) to help strengthen security in sensitive areas, especially churches.
