MI5′s director general Ken McCallum has warned that the violence in the Israel-Hamas war could influence attacks in the UK.
The revelation emerged at an unprecedented security meeting with the UK’s closest intelligence agencies in California (a group known as Five Eyes).
Leaders from secret services in the UK, US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, made the unusual decision to make a joint appearance.
The surprise meeting was meant to send a “powerful signal”, according to McCallum, that the world is facing its greatest threat since the Cold War, due to the rising aggression of authoritarian states like Russian and China, and Beijing’s economic espionage.
It then branched out to include concerns about the Israel-Hamas war, too.
At the meeting, McCallum said: “There clearly is the possibility that profound events in the Middle East will either generate more volume of UK threat and/or change its shape in terms of what is being targeted, in terms of how people are taking inspiration.”
He said his officers were working hard to protect Jewish and Muslim communities in the UK right now.
Speaking to ITV News, the spy chief explained: “My teams are very much alert to the risk that events in the Middle East right now could provide some form of twisted inspiration for some of our citizens to mount some kind of attack.”
M15, which protects the country from overseas threats, said there were at least three scenarios it was watching out for: Islamic extremists attacking Jewish or Israeli targets in the UK; an attack on British muslims from an Islamophobe; or a state actor, such as Iran, striking out against enemies on British oil.
McCallum added that the terrorist groups “may choose to strike in a new way”, after Israel was caught off guard by the Hamas’ massacre.
According to The Times, spies have stepped up their monitoring because of the ongoing conflict.
McCallum also told reporters that threat from Iran may increase, too. Over the last year, MI5 has foiled 15 Tehran-linked plots aimed at dissidents and media organisations.
A spate of attacks have already taken place around the world in the days since the war broke out.
In Brussels, an Islamic extremist shot two people dead on Monday, claiming to be inspired by Isis. The gunman was later shot dead by police.
In the US state of Illionis, a Palestinian-American child was stabbed to death. It is believed to have been anti-Muslim hate crime.
According to the French news broadcast network, BFM TV, six airports in France were evacuated on Wednesday morning over bomb threats.
There are also UK civilians who have been directly pulled into the war in Israel, too. Six Brits are believed to be dead and up to ten may be being held hostage by Hamas in Gaza.
While McCallum made it clear that the UK’s threat level had not change (it’s still at substantial) – it was being monitored closely.
“Terrorists can draw inspiration not just from things they see happening inside the UK but things they see happening in the Middle East or on the continent or elsewhere,” he warned.
McCallum added: “I spent the bulk of my career countering terrorism. It never loses the power to sicken me. MI5 will continue to work without fear or favour to protect the UK national security wherever we see threats.”
It comes as the Met Police have promised there will be a “highly visible” police presence during the Euro 2024 qualifier between England and Italy, at Wembley.