As Israel's bombs fell on Gaza, its buildings and inhabitants, Hamas called for global jihad. The response has not been massive but it has been immediate: in recent days several attacks have taken place shouting “Allah is great”. Belgium, France, China and Spain (Mataró) have been the scenarios.

It was last Wednesday when the founder of Hamas, Khaled Meshal, the political leader of its fighters, called on Muslims around the world to take to the streets on Friday and turn the day “into a day of anger” against Israel in response to the bombings in the Gaza Strip.

The message from Meshal, who led the terrorist group between 2014 and 2017, led several capitals around the world to strengthen their security measures.. It was about preventing possible actions by individuals known as “lone wolves.”. Despite this, violent attacks, of greater or lesser magnitude, have taken place in Brussels, Arras, Beijing and Mataró.

Belgium, two Swedish citizens

At least two people have died and several more were injured by firearms in an incident late Monday afternoon near Sainctelette Square in Brussels, a busy area, close to the Grand Place.. A man, dressed in a bright orange jacket, opened fire “indiscriminately” and killed two Swedish citizens.

This Tuesday, the Belgian police “neutralized” the perpetrator of the attack with a shot to the chest. The Federal Prosecutor's Office has confirmed that the individual was found having a coffee in the center of Brussels. After a shooting, the individual was admitted to a hospital in critical condition and died hours later.

The deceased were two Swedish fans who had come to Brussels for the soccer match between the Belgian and Swedish national teams, corresponding to the qualifying phase of the Euro 2024 Championship.. The match did not resume after the end of the first half for security reasons when the attack became known.

It's not coincidental. Islamists have accused Sweden of disrespecting the Koran and authorizing public burnings of its holy book.. Since mid-July, there have been strong protests in the Islamic world, the most virulent being in Baghdad, when hundreds of protesters attacked and burned down the Swedish embassy in protest of the summons of Salwan Momika, an Iraqi refugee welcomed by Sweden since 2019, who announced a burning of the Koran in Stockholm.

A Tunisian who requested asylum in Belgium

According to the explanations of the Belgian Minister of Justice, Van Quickenborne, the alleged murderer was identified as Abdesalem L., a 45-year-old Tunisian who requested asylum in Belgium in November 2019.. He was known to police for “suspicious actions” such as human trafficking and illegal residence.

“In July 2016, through a foreign police service, we were sent unconfirmed information that the man had become radicalized and wanted to go to a jihadist conflict zone,” Quickenborne said.. However, there were never concrete signs of radicalization, according to the Belgian investigation services.

In October 2020 he received a negative decision on his asylum application and shortly after disappeared from the radar. In June 2022 he was seen in a mosque in Brussels, but did not raise suspicions. In early 2023, a resident of an asylum center was allegedly threatened by this man via social media. Abdesalem L. She had been convicted in Tunisia, but not for terrorism but for criminal offenses.

France, a teacher again

Last Friday, a stabbing took place at a Gambetta-Carnot high school in Arras (northern France) that left a teacher dead and three others injured.. The deceased was Dominique Bernard, a teacher at that center.

The alleged perpetrator, identified as Mohamed M. and booked by the authorities for his possible danger, he was immediately detained, within an investigation that has also led to eight other arrests.. This former student would have entered the school and slit the teacher's throat shouting “Allahu Akbar” (God is the greatest). He was immediately detained, as part of an investigation that led to eight other arrests.

A former student of Chechen origin

Mohamed M. He is 20 years old, is of Chechen origin and was booked by the authorities for his possible danger.. An older brother of the attacker was also arrested.. The murder, in any case, is considered a terrorist attack.

The following Monday, the Gambetta-Carnot institute in Arras had to be evacuated due to a bomb alert. Everything happened after France raised the anti-terrorist alert. During the weekend there were other evacuations in emblematic places such as the Palace of Versailles or the Louvre Museum in Paris.

The Arras attack took place three days after the third anniversary of the death of Samuel Paty, a French teacher who was beheaded by the father of one of his high school students for showing a caricature of Muhammad.

China, an employee of the Israeli embassy

An employee of the Israeli embassy in Beijing (China) was stabbed on Friday in the middle of the street. The 50-year-old man was assaulted on a street in the Chaoyang district by another 53-year-old man who was immediately arrested.

It happened in the middle of the street, outside a supermarket.. In a video that recorded the attack, a police officer is heard identifying himself as an agent and the embassy employee crawls a few meters leaving a trail of blood after being stabbed.

The attacked person, a worker at the Israeli Embassy in China, was admitted to a hospital in Beijing in serious condition.. Hours later, the Israeli Foreign Ministry indicated that he was stable.. The man is recovering from his injuries.

Spain, a man with psychological problems

This Sunday, the Mossos d'Esquadra arrested a man in Mataró (Barcelona) for attacking two people with a machete while shouting “Allah Akbar” (Allah is great). He did it after damaging several vehicles. None of those attacked suffered serious injuries: one was able to flee and the other was injured in the arm while trying to protect himself.

The events occurred around 8:00 p.m. on Sunday on the Mata de Mataró highway, when a man was walking down the street with a machete, chasing several people and causing damage to some vehicles.

Some witnesses claim that the man, who suffers from psychological problems, was shouting “Allah Akbar”, although Mossos sources consulted by EFE have ruled out that he had a terrorist motivation.