The terror group ISIS has called on its supporters to carry out arson attacks on synagogues and churches worldwide, in a chilling escalation of its propaganda campaign.
In a newly circulated publication, the group urged followers to target “Jewish gatherings” and emulate past attacks, explicitly referencing incidents in Sydney last year.
Propaganda outlet al-Naba, reported Isis saying: “In the face of the tragedy of the closure of the blessed al-Aqsa Mosque, it is incumbent upon Muslims everywhere – those who yearn to come to the aid of the site of their Prophet’s Night Journey – to rise up and set fire to the Jewish synagogues scattered across America, Europe, Russia, India, and elsewhere.
“The same applies to the synagogues in Tunisia, Morocco, the UAE, and Syria; their locations are well-known, and their details have been published.”
The message is framed as retaliation for the closure of the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem, one of Islam’s holiest sites.
Israeli authorities have shut the mosque, located on the Temple Mount, until mid-April, citing security concerns. The site is sacred to both Muslims and Jews, making any restriction highly sensitive.
The Palestinian Authority has condemned the closure, noting that the mosque has remained open since 1967 and warning that such measures risk inflaming already heightened tensions across the region.
The renewed threat comes as authorities grapple with a separate but potentially linked security concern: mass escapes from the Al-Hol camp, which houses thousands of displaced Syrians and Iraqis, including families with suspected ties to extremist groups.
Fadi al Qassem, speaking on behalf of the camp’s administration, said large numbers of families fled through informal smuggling routes before security forces could regain control.
“Families escaped while we were present because the camp is large and the smuggling routes are very varied,” he told Sky News, adding that by the time authorities intervened, much of the site had already been emptied.
Officials reported evidence of forged passports and other fraudulent documents among those who fled, raising fears that some individuals may attempt to travel beyond the region undetected.
Efforts are now underway to track those who escaped, with support from the UNHCR.
Gonzalo Vargas Llosa said the agency had alerted remaining families and is working to facilitate relocations to safer areas in northern Syria, including Akhtarin and Jarabulus near the Turkish border, where emergency housing is already in place.
Security analysts warn that the convergence of extremist propaganda, religious tensions in Jerusalem, and the dispersal of individuals from loosely controlled camps presents a volatile mix.
While there is no immediate evidence of coordinated plots, officials across Europe are likely to treat the ISIS message with urgency, particularly given its explicit call for low-tech, high-impact attacks such as arson.
The combination of ideological incitement and the potential movement of individuals from conflict zones underscores a persistent concern for Western security services: that even as ISIS has lost territorial control, its capacity to inspire violence abroad remains intact.
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