Islamic State Ramps Up Campaign Targeting the West: Analysis of Surge in Attacks, Plots, and Propaganda

On the evening of Saturday, December 2, an Islamic State (IS) inspired jihadist conducted an attack using a knife and hammer that killed a 23-year-old German-Filipino and injured two others near the Eiffel Tower in Paris. He posted a video online stating his actions were taken to avenge the killing and oppression of Muslims, especially women and children, expressing support for IS branches in Africa, Syria, Yemen, Pakistan, and across Asia in their wars against “the enemies of religion,” as well as pledging allegiance to the Islamic State and its leader. After the attack, he told police officers he was “fed up with seeing Muslims die,” emphasizing Gaza in particular, accusing France of being "complicit" in Israel’s policies and military operations. The 26-year-old French-Iranian was a radicalized ex-convict who had been assessed for psychological issues and had been receiving psychiatric treatment from the time he was released until March 2022.