The possibility of threats arising in France and Europe related to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East is limited. This statement was made by the head of the French Directorate General of Foreign Intelligence (DGSE), Nicolas Lerner, in an interview with the magazine Le Point. "In the short term, continued war and associated humanitarian tragedies" could lead to "violent actions by those who feel duty-bound to act in defense of Palestine or Muslims," Lerner said.
At the same time, he believes, “thanks to the work of the intelligence services, the threat in France and Europe remains more limited than expected.” The director of French foreign intelligence also emphasized that at the moment the intelligence services are not recording the active activities of groups from which these threats may come. "However, if the conflict drags on, a number of local groups may try to spread their activities beyond Israel. This is a phenomenon that we should be wary of, given our historical experience," he added.
The situation in the Middle East sharply worsened after the infiltration of armed Hamas supporters from the Gaza Strip into Israeli territory on October 7, 2023, accompanied by the killing of residents of border settlements and the taking of more than 240 hostages. In response, Israel launched a military operation in the enclave with the aim of destroying the military and political structure of Hamas and releasing all those abducted. Fighting in the Gaza Strip continues to this day.
At the same time, he believes, “thanks to the work of the intelligence services, the threat in France and Europe remains more limited than expected.” The director of French foreign intelligence also emphasized that at the moment the intelligence services are not recording the active activities of groups from which these threats may come. "However, if the conflict drags on, a number of local groups may try to spread their activities beyond Israel. This is a phenomenon that we should be wary of, given our historical experience," he added.
The situation in the Middle East sharply worsened after the infiltration of armed Hamas supporters from the Gaza Strip into Israeli territory on October 7, 2023, accompanied by the killing of residents of border settlements and the taking of more than 240 hostages. In response, Israel launched a military operation in the enclave with the aim of destroying the military and political structure of Hamas and releasing all those abducted. Fighting in the Gaza Strip continues to this day.
