A “Christmas nightmare” is spreading its shadow over Europe, but also the USA, ahead of the holidays in the shadow of the recent terrorist attacks after the bloody events in Gaza.

For a huge risk of terrorist attacks in the European Union in the coming holiday season, the Commissioner for Home Affairs Ylva Johansson also warned, without clarifying whether there is any specific information that led to the warning.

According to the BBC, Commissioner Johansson pointed out that the social polarization caused by the Israel-Hamas war increases the risk of violence. Her comments came in the wake of the murder of a student in Paris a few days ago.

The EU has allocated an additional €30m for additional security, Ms Johansson said. “We saw it recently in Paris, unfortunately we saw it earlier,” he added ahead of a meeting of EU interior ministers.

A similar warning was issued by German Interior Minister Nancy Feiser, who told reporters that the EU must closely monitor threats and propaganda as there is a high “risk of further radicalization of violent Islamist perpetrators”.

Many European countries have seen a surge in hate crimes since Hamas gunmen attacked Israeli kibbutzim on October 7, killing 1,200 people and taking hostages in Gaza. Israel’s invasion of Gaza has killed 15,000 people in the enclave, according to Hamas’ health ministry.

The murderous attack in France

EU ministers met after a murderous attack near the Eiffel Tower on Saturday in which a 23-year-old German tourist named Colin B was stabbed to death and his girlfriend and a British tourist were injured.

The young German couple had visited Disneyland in Paris, the Louvre and taken selfies in front of the Eiffel Tower before the attack. Police said the 26-year-old French suspect, identified as Armand R, who comes from an atheist Iranian family, had pledged allegiance to the Islamic State group.

The man, who was arrested at the scene of the crime, had previously been jailed for plotting a terrorist attack in the La Défense district outside Paris. In 2020, he was questioned by French police for having contacted Abdullah Anzorov, who murdered teacher Samuel Pati.

France’s terrorism prosecutor said the attacker’s mother had raised concerns about his behaviour, although there was no evidence at this time of further action being taken against him.

Germany: “Significant possibility of danger”

Germany is also on alert for a possible attack. Last week two boys from different parts of the country were arrested as they appeared to be planning an Islamic terrorist attack on a Christmas market in the city of Leverkusen. And a 20-year-old Iraqi man who arrived in Germany last year is in custody amid evidence he planned a knife attack at a Christmas market in Hanover.

The head of Germany’s domestic intelligence service in the eastern state of Thuringia, Stefan Kramer, has warned of the “significant risk potential” posed by Hamas supporters, not only at Christmas markets but also at major sporting events such as the Paris Olympics and the Euro, the European football championship that is organized next year.

The US is also on alert

However, the USA is also on alert. FBI Director Christopher Wray testified on Tuesday that the terrorist threat facing the United States has reached unprecedented levels since the October 7 attack on Israel, Fox News reports.