Terrorism threat in Singapore elevated since Israel-Hamas conflict: ISD
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While there is no indication of an imminent threat to Singapore, vigilance is required, said ISD.
ST PHOTO: KUA CHEE SIONG
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SINGAPORE – The terrorism threat in Singapore has increased since the Israel-Hamas war, with the conflict sparking more acts of violence worldwide, which has affected the Republic.
In its annual report on terrorism released on July 25, Singapore’s Internal Security Department (ISD) said terrorist elements have used the conflict to further their agenda.
It said there has been more anti-Singapore rhetoric on social media from regional extremist elements, with some regional netizens perceiving Singapore to be pro-Israel.
The agency added that while there is no indication of an imminent threat to Singapore, vigilance is required, given that militants linked to transnational terrorist groups had previously planned and conducted terrorist attacks here.
An example of this took place in 1985, when a Palestinian terrorist planted a bomb at Faber House, targeting the Israeli Embassy then located there.
ISD said some regional extremist elements took issue with Singapore’s contribution to Operation Prosperity Guardian.
The operation is an international maritime security force formed
From January to June in 2024, the Singapore Armed Forces sent 12 personnel to help with information sharing and operations planning under this operation.
Following this, ISD said there were social media posts urging attacks against Singapore using bombs and rockets, and calling for the Republic to be destroyed and wiped out.
The Israel-Hamas war started after Hamas attacked Israel on Oct 7, 2023. Israel responded with air strikes and an invasion of Gaza.
Flames rising following an Israeli strike on a residential building in the central Gaza Strip on July 24.
PHOTO: REUTERS
So far, more than 40,000 people have died amid the conflict.
In March, US intelligence assessed the war would likely have a generational impact on terrorism.
ISD said the conflict has sparked hate crimes and religiously motivated attacks globally.
Self-radicalisation a key threat domestically
In Singapore, self-radicalisation has continued to be the primary threat driver, it said.
A total of 52 self-radicalised individuals, including 40 Singaporeans, have been issued orders under the Internal Security Act (ISA) since 2015. They include 13 Singaporeans aged 20 or younger.
Since July 2023, three new self-radicalisation cases have been dealt with under the ISA.
They involved two boys, aged 14 and 16, and a 33-year-old Singaporean woman, who were all issued restriction orders.
The 14-year-old Secondary 3 student is the youngest person to be issued a restriction order
He had considered carrying out attacks in Singapore, and started an online chat group hoping to recruit 60 to 100 people. He also tried to radicalise his schoolmates but failed.
ISD said his parents had noticed he was increasingly expressing segregationist beliefs, but did not think this warranted intervention and assistance.
The 33-year-old, former public servant An’nadya An’nahari, supported the Axis of Resistance, a network of Islamist militant and terrorist organisations, including Hamas and the Houthis, and advocated violence against Israelis and Jews.
ISD said the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict triggered the radicalisation in these two cases, underscoring the risk that foreign extremist narratives can pose to Singapore’s national security and social harmony.
It added that these cases showed that anyone, no matter their age, gender, religion or profession, can be susceptible to radicalisation.
Such radicalisation can take place in a short span of months.
These cases also showed that young people in Singapore are vulnerable to online radicalisation by a variety of extremist ideologies, such as Islamist extremism and far-right extremism.
Far-right extremism a growing concern
ISD said far-right extremism is a fast-evolving security threat, encompassing a wide range of beliefs that are often exclusivist.
Such extremism advocates violence as a means to safeguard ethnic purity or achieve political objectives, and is a rising security concern particularly for Western countries.
In its February 2024 report, US-based think-tank Centre for Strategic and International Studies noted that violent far-right extremist ideologies had become more prominent globally, with such extremism posing the most pressing terrorism threat in the US, Canada and Europe.
ISD said that apart from encouraging individuals to engage in violence, such narratives also run the risk of polarising communities and deepening societal fault lines.
It said young people are particularly susceptible and may gravitate towards the sense of belonging and identity that far-right movements appear to provide.
ISD said it has detected two cases of local young people being self-radicalised by far-right extremism, the most recent being the 16-year-old boy
ISD added that even though he was of Chinese ethnicity, he had identified as a white supremacist and aspired to conduct attacks overseas to further the white supremacist cause. He wanted to commit a mass shooting in the US in 10 years’ time.
ISD said his case mirrored a global trend: The growing participation of non-whites in far-right extremism and white supremacist movements.
Terrorism financing
Despite the increasing use of cryptocurrencies
In Singapore, the Terrorism (Suppression of Financing) Act criminalises the act of providing money for terrorist purposes.
Since 2015, there have been 13 convictions under the Act
These cases involved funds being collected or raised in Singapore and transferred, or about to be moved, in support of terrorists and terrorist activities abroad.
Even though there were no prosecutions of terrorism financing offences in Singapore in the past 12 months, the country remains a potential source of funds for terrorists and terrorist organisations abroad, said ISD.
This is because Singapore is a global financial centre and transport hub with a significant migrant workforce.
ISD said the Israel-Hamas conflict has been exploited by terror elements for terrorism financing purposes.
Charities and non-governmental organisations have reportedly been among the vehicles commonly used by Hamas networks to collect funds for the group globally, said the agency. There were reports of Hamas receiving US$8 million (S$10.7 million) to US$12 million a month through front charities. Hamas officials have also publicly called for donations, and termed such donations as financial jihad.
ISD said Singaporeans need to be vigilant about the avenues through which they donate aid.
It added that those hoping to donate should do so through charities such as the Red Cross and the Rahmatan Lil Alamin Foundation.
Attacks triggered by the Israel-Hamas conflict
1. Oct 14, 2023: A six-year-old Muslim Palestinian boy and his mother were stabbed in their home in Illinois in the United States by their landlord. The mother, who suffered multiple stab wounds to her chest and torso, survived the attack, but her son died in hospital. The landlord was charged with murder and hate crimes as he targeted the victims because of their religion, and in response to the Israel-Hamas conflict.
2. Nov 23, 2023: Three male college students of Palestinian descent, who were speaking Arabic and wearing the keffiyeh, a traditional Palestinian scarf, were shot while walking in Vermont in the US. They survived, and the gunman was charged with attempted murder.
3. Jan 23, 2024: A gunman fired shots and threw a homemade Molotov cocktail at Edmonton City Hall in Canada. In a pre-recorded video, the man said his aim was to rise against leaders “responsible for the genocide in Gaza”. He was arrested and faces terrorism charges.
4. Feb 1, 2024: A gunman took seven staff in a US company factory in north-western Turkey as hostages to protest against Israel’s military campaign in Gaza. During the nine-hour stand-off, he demanded a ceasefire in Gaza and the opening of aid routes, before Turkish police arrested him and rescued the hostages.
Anyone who knows or suspects that a person has been radicalised should contact the ISD Counter-Terrorism Centre hotline on 1800-2626-473.
