“Four female Israeli soldiers who were taken in the attack that sparked the war
in Gaza returned to Israel on Saturday after Hamas militants paraded them
before a crowd of thousands in Gaza City and handed them over to the Red Cross.
Israel later released 200 Palestinian prisoners in the second exchange of a
fragile ceasefire. The four Israelis smiled, waved and gave the thumbs-up from
a stage in Palestine Square, with armed, masked militants on either side as
Hamas sought to show it remained in control in Gaza after 15 months of war. The
hostages likely acted under duress. Previously released ones said they were
held in brutal conditions and forced to record propaganda videos.”











<[link removed]>
<[link removed]>
<[link removed]>
<[link removed]>



Eye on Extremism



January 27, 2025



Associated Press: Hamas Frees 4 Female Israeli Soldiers In Exchange For 200
Palestinian Prisoners As Ceasefire Holds
<[link removed]>



“Four female Israeli soldiers who were taken in the attack that sparked the
war in Gaza returned to Israel on Saturday after Hamas militants paraded them
before a crowd of thousands in Gaza City and handed them over to the Red Cross.
Israel later released 200 Palestinian prisoners in the second exchange of a
fragile ceasefire. The four Israelis smiled, waved and gave the thumbs-up from
a stage in Palestine Square, with armed, masked militants on either side as
Hamas sought to show it remained in control in Gaza after 15 months of war. The
hostages likely acted under duress. Previously released ones said they were
held in brutal conditions and forced to record propaganda videos.”



Associated Press: Taliban Reject Court Move To Arrest Top Officials For
Persecuting Afghan Women And Girls
<[link removed]>



“The Taliban Friday rejected a court move to arrest two of their top officials
for persecuting women, accusing the court of baseless accusations and
misbehavior. The International Criminal Court’s chief prosecutor Karim Khan
announced Thursday he had requested arrest warrants for two top Taliban
officials, including the leader Hibatullah Akhundzada. Since they took back
control of the country in 2021, the Taliban have barred women from jobs, most
public spaces and education beyond sixth grade. A Foreign Ministry statement
condemned the ICC request.”




CEP Expert Analysis

*
ISIS Redux: The Central Syria Insurgency In October 2024
<[link removed]>

*
ISIS Redux: The Central Syria Insurgency In September 2024
<[link removed]>

*
CEP Report: Civilian Counterterrorism Militias Take Action, Introduce New
Challenges to Combatting Violent Extremism in Africa
<[link removed]>

*
CEP Policy Brief: Identifying and Disrupting Key Antisemitic Actors
<[link removed]>

*
Extremist Content Online: Extreme Right Celebrates Anti-Muslim Immigration
Riots on Telegram and X
<[link removed]>




CEP Mentions



Associated Press: Anti-Extremism Center Opens In Former House Of Auschwitz
Commandant Rudolf Höss
<[link removed]>



“A U.S.-based organization is transforming the house of Auschwitz commandant
Rudolf Höss into a research center devoted to fighting extremism, and is
introducing it to the public on the 80th anniversary of the liberation of
Auschwitz on Monday... “My dream, and those of our colleagues, is that every
visitor, every fellow, every academic that comes here takes action to fight
extremism and antisemitism wherever they come from,” said Mark Wallace, the CEO
of the Counter Extremism Project. His group bought the house from a private
family and is creating the Auschwitz Center on Hate, Extremism and
Radicalization in the house. It opened its doors to reporters on the eve of the
anniversary commemorations, showing them the rooms in the three-story house
that still need to be renovated.”



The New York Times: At Auschwitz, A Solemn Ceremony At A Time Of Rising
Nationalism
<[link removed]>



“Dozens of world leaders, including King Charles III, joined a dwindling
group of Nazi death camp survivors on Monday in southern Poland to commemorate
the 80th anniversary of the Red Army’s liberation of Auschwitz, where more than
1.1 million people, mostly Jews, were murdered… None of the leaders at the
event on Monday will speak. As part of the anniversary events, the house where
the Nazi commandant of Auschwitz lived with his family — which was the subject
of the Oscar-winning movie “The Zone of Interest” — opened to visitors for the
first time following its sale by Polish owners to the Counter Extremism
Project, a New York-based group.”



Ireland Live: Anti-Extremism Centre Opens In Former House Of Auschwitz
Commandant Rudolf Hoss
<[link removed]>



“... It has since been acquired by the Counter Extremism Project, a
non-government organisation that combats extremist groups by pressuring
financial support networks, countering the narrative of extremists and their
online recruitment, and advocating for stronger laws, policies and regulations
around the world. Counter Extremism Project CEO Mark Wallace said the opening
of the home to the public is his dream, and those of our colleagues, is that
every visitor, every fellow, and every academic that visits the Auschwitz site
will be inspired to take action to fight extremism wherever they come from.”



Redwood News: Hibatullah Akhundzada: Afghanistan's Reclusive Taliban Leader
<[link removed]>



“... "Akhundzada's relative anonymity has reportedly served as a factor in
the Taliban's decision to elevate him. Previously, many had assumed that more
well-known figures... would succeed Mullah Mansour," according to the Counter
Extremism Project (CEP), a non-profit policy organisation. "Significantly less
public and controversial" than other choices, he seemed like the ideal
candidate to ensure discretion for the movement and "retain control over its
internal factions", the CEP said. Unlike many Taliban figures, Akhundzada is
not on the United Nations sanctions list.”



The Guardian: The ‘House Next Door’: Rudolf Höss’s Villa Opens To Honour
Auschwitz Victims
<[link removed]>



“... In 2024, the American non-profit Counter Extremism Project persuaded the
Polish family to sell the property. The organisation is led by Mark Wallace,
the 57-year-old former ambassador to the UN under President George W Bush. The
Counter Extremism Project’s mission is to “combat the growing threat posed by
extremist ideologies”. With the support of the Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum,
the Polish foreign ministry and Unesco, they are opening what they are calling
the Auschwitz Research Centre on Hate, Extremism and Radicalisation (Archer) at
House 88.”



Euro News: House Next To Auschwitz Opens To Public Amid Alarming International
Survey Results On Holocaust
<[link removed]>



“The family home next to Auschwitz – immortalized on screen in last year’s
Oscar-winning film ‘The Zone of Interest’ - is opening its doors to the public
for the first time. This coincides with an alarming international survey
examining Holocaust knowledge and awareness. The house where German SS officer
and commandant of the Auschwitz concentration camp Rudolf Höss lived with his
family will open to the public for the first time today, to mark the 80th
anniversary of the liberation of the camp. Through the efforts of the American
non-profit Counter Extremism Project, in coordination with the
Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum, the Polish foreign ministry and UNESCO, the
villa will become the home of the ‘Auschwitz Research Centre on Hate, Extremism
and Radicalisation’.”



WA Today: A House At Auschwitz Opens Its Doors To A Chilling Past
<[link removed]>



“Oswiecim, Poland: The mother lived for 42 years in a three-storey house
overlooking a former gas chamber and a gallows at Auschwitz, sometimes losing
sleep at the thought of what had happened on the other side of her garden wall…
Last summer, Jurczak agreed to sell her stake in the home to the Counter
Extremism Project, a New York-based group that wants to open the house to
visitors. She moved out in August, and in October the New York group completed
its acquisition of the home and an adjacent house built after the war…
Cywinski, the Auschwitz-Birkanau museum director, said he was eager to work
with the Counter Extremism Project, in its efforts to combat extremism.
Extremism, he said, “is unfortunately not a mental illness; it is a method”
that exploits widespread feelings of frustration.”



Irish Examiner: Anti-Extremism Centre Opens In Former House Of Auschwitz
Commandant Rudolf Hoss <[link removed]>



“The former home of Auschwitz commandant Rudolf Hoss has been transformed
into a research centre devoted to fighting extremism, with the building
officially opening to the public on the 80th anniversary of the liberation of
the concentration camp. The house, which sits beside the former death camp,
belonged to a local military family before the invasion of Poland by Nazi
forces in 1939. It has since been acquired by the Counter Extremism Project, a
non-government organisation that combats extremist groups by pressuring
financial support networks, countering the narrative of extremists and their
online recruitment, and advocating for stronger laws, policies and regulations
around the world.”



Channel 4: ‘Material That Incites Extreme Violence Needs To Be Taken Off The
Internet’, Says Former Prisoner Governor
<[link removed]>



“We spoke to former prison governor Ian Acheson. He’s now the Senior Advisor
to the Counter Extremism Project. We began by asking him why Prevent missed so
many signs to stop Axel Rudakubana before he went on to kill. Ian Acheson: We
don’t have the full facts of a public inquiry and we will get those. But on the
face of it, it does look like Prevent has failed to detect his descent into
murderous violence. Prevent, I think, is overwhelmed by trivial referrals
still, which is obscuring the risks posed by very dangerous people and
distracting them from their core mission. Secondly, tendency of practitioners
to see young people who are in trouble solely through the lens of
vulnerability, not the risk they pose to others…”



The Irish Times: Auschwitz Survivors To Visit Home Of Former Camp Commander
Rudolf Höss
<[link removed]>



“They called it a “paradise” but, these days, the former home of Auschwitz
camp commander Rudolf Höss and his family is a pokey, depressing fixer-upper…
The new owner is the Counter Extremism Project (CEP), an organisation that
studies global extremism and advises state actors on how to push back. It has
big plans for the former Höss house, renamed the Auschwitz Research Centre on
Hate, Extremism and Radicalisation (ARCHER) at House 88. It hopes this
authentic site can help retool for the 21st century the “never forget” mantra
of Holocaust survivor Elie Wiesel. “Some 80 years on, ‘never forget’ is not
enough to prevent the hate and anti-Semitism that grips our society, we need to
do more,” said Mark D Wallace, CEP founder and former US ambassador to the
United Nations. “The ordinary house of the greatest mass murderer will now be
part of the fight against extremism and anti-Semitism.””



Mirror: Exclusive: Inside Nazi House Of Horrors Where Worst Mass Murderer Of
All Time Lived
<[link removed]>



“This ordinary house next door shows “just how close heaven can be to hell on
earth”. The former home of the world’s biggest mass murderer, Rudolf Hoss -
whose day job was as Auschwitz commandant - has opened its doors for the first
time since World War II… This house with its twisted history has now been
bought by the Counter Extremism Project from a Polish family whose ancestors
had lived there since before and after the war - when it was seized by the
Nazis… Counter Extremism Project’s CEO, Mark Wallace, 57, told The Mirror they
had been trying to buy the house “for years” and it involved “intensive”
negotiations with nine relatives who had claim to the land. Mark said the house
was built in 1937 for those working in the military barracks behind before it
was seized by the Nazis. The former US ambassador to the UN, said: “I know that
in the ordinary house next door to the largest industrial scale slaughter of
people in the world, lived a horrible extremist, living a life which was
ordinary if not luxurious.”



RTE: Auschwitz: Where The Nazis Created Hell On Earth
<[link removed]>



“Tomorrow marks the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau,
the German-Nazi concentration and death camp where more than 1.1 million people
were murdered between 1940 and 1945, about 85% of whom were Jews. Other victims
included Poles, Soviet prisoners of war, Roma and Sinti gypsies, and other
ethnic groups. The date of the camp's liberation by the Soviet army on 27
January 1945 is observed annually as International Holocaust Remembrance Day.
There were many other Nazi death camps built across German-occupied Poland
during World War II such as Treblinka, Sobibor, Majdanek and Chelmno… A New
York-based charity, the Counter Extremism Project, bought the house recently
and will run the project.”



Firstpost: Inside The Auschwitz Commandant’s House, Now Dedicated To Fighting
Hate
<[link removed]>



“The former home of Auschwitz commandant Rudolf Höss, located just steps away
from the infamous Nazi concentration camp, is undergoing a profound
transformation. Acquired by the US-based Counter Extremism Project (CEP), the
villa at 88 Legionow Street will soon reopen as the Auschwitz Center on Hate,
Extremism, and Radicalization. This initiative, launched in collaboration with
the Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum and under UNESCO’s patronage, aims to
combat extremism and honour the memory of the Holocaust victims. “The idea
behind the project is to create something that doesn’t exist—a global centre to
fight extremism in the house of one of the historically worst extremists and
antisemites that ever existed,” said Hans Jakob Schindler, the senior director
of CEP, told CNN.”



Excelsior: 80 Years After The Liberation Of Auschwitz: The Impact Of Pop
Culture On Film, Music And Literature
<[link removed]>



“Eighty years after the liberation of the Nazi concentration camp
Auschwitz-Birkenau , the impact of what happened there during World War II is
still felt. Although the first news about the site was broadcast on the radio,
in film and in newspapers, today the events that occurred, the stories of those
who died and those who survived, continue to impact not only the media, but
also popular culture worldwide… Since Auschwitz was liberated in 1945, the Hoss
family home remained in the hands of a Polish family, but in 2023 it was
acquired by the Counter Extremist Project, a New York-based NGO that has sought
to combat extremism since 2014.”



The Guardian: Energized Neo-Nazis Feel Their Moment Has Come As Trump Changes
Everything
<[link removed]>



“One week into Donald Trump’s second administration and the verdict among
far-right activists and neo-Nazis is that the next four years will be a time to
relax, organize and take advantage of the popular awakening of American
fascism… “These groups see the next four years as a mix of positives and
negatives but overall as an opportunity to enlarge their movement” said Joshua
Fisher Birch, a terrorism analyst at the New York-based Counter Extremism
Project. “Extreme-right groups are focusing on mass deportations and seeking to
win over potential recruits by concentrating on this issue.” But Fisher Birch
did note that “their deep distrust of the government and extreme antisemitism
has not gone away”.”



Jersey Evening Post: Anti-Extremism Centre Opens In Former House Of Auschwitz
Commandant Rudolf Hoss
<[link removed]>



“The former home of Auschwitz commandant Rudolf Hoss has been transformed
into a research centre devoted to fighting extremism, with the building
officially opening to the public on the 80th anniversary of the liberation of
the concentration camp. The house, which sits beside the former death camp,
belonged to a local military family before the invasion of Poland by Nazi
forces in 1939. It has since been acquired by the Counter Extremism Project, a
non-government organisation that combats extremist groups by pressuring
financial support networks, countering the narrative of extremists and their
online recruitment, and advocating for stronger laws, policies and regulations
around the world.”



The Telegraph: What Prison Life Will Look Like For Southport Killer Axel
Rudakubana
<[link removed]>



“… Due to the nature of his crimes and the likelihood he will have a price on
his head, it is not thought that Rudakubana will receive the same treatment.
“It is extremely unlikely he will be sent to a YOI. Even the most secure, which
is probably HMP Aylesbury, would not be capable of managing the risk he
presents,” says Ian Acheson, a former prison governor and senior adviser at the
Counter Extremism Project, describing the issue of where to house him as a
“massive headache” for the prison service. “My guess would be they will send
him to an adult prison first of all – he will probably be sent to the
high-security and long-term prison estate, and I would expect him to be
segregated until they have worked out a risk-management plan,” he says.”



United States



The New York Times: Independent Watchdog, In Trump’s Cross Hairs, Scrutinizes
Terrorism Watch List
<[link removed]>



“An independent watchdog focused on civil liberties called on the federal
government on Friday to tighten its use of a terrorism watch list, which can
restrict people from traveling or entering the country and subject them to
greater scrutiny at airports. The call, made in a report by the bipartisan
Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board, came at a precarious time for the
agency. Days ago, in a move that could kneecap the agency, the Trump
administration instructed its three Democratic-selected members to submit
resignation letters by the close of business on Jan. 23, threatening
termination if they failed to comply.”



Reuters: US Teacher Put On Leave After Allegedly Calling Palestinian Child An
Extremist
<[link removed]>



“A public teacher in Pennsylvania was put on leave after allegedly calling a
Palestinian American middle school student an extremist, the school district
and a Muslim advocacy group said. Human rights advocates say there has been a
rise in anti-Muslim, anti-Palestinian and antisemitic hate in the U.S. since
the start of Israel's war in Gaza following an Oct. 7, 2023, attack by the
Palestinian militant group Hamas.The Central Dauphin School District said on
Saturday it had learned about the allegations that the teacher made the
derogatory comment last week in an after-school program.”



The Washington Post: U.S. Shared Secret Intelligence With Syria’s New Leaders
<[link removed]>



“The United States has shared secret intelligence on threats from the Islamic
State with the new government in Syria, which is itself run by leaders of a
militant group long considered by Washington to be a terrorist organization,
according to multiple current and former U.S. officials familiar with the
exchanges. In at least one case, the U.S. intelligence helped thwart an Islamic
State plot to attack a religious shrine outside Damascus earlier this month,
according to the officials. The back channel with Hayʼat Tahrir al-Sham, which
overthrew former president Bashar al-Assad’s regime last month, reflects rising
U.S. alarm that the Islamic State could mount a resurgence as Syria’s new
leaders try to consolidate control.”



Syria



Reuters: Syria's Al-Hol Camp Readies First Return Of Syrian Detainees,
Director Says
<[link removed]>



“Kurdish-led authorities who run a sprawling camp for Islamic State-linked
prisoners in northeast Syria are preparing the first-ever return of detainees
to Syrian areas, the camp director said, a move enabled by the fall of the
Assad regime. Al-Hol camp director Jihan Hanan said preparations were under way
for the voluntary return of 66 families from the massive tent city, where the
vast majority of inmates are women and children, to areas inside Syria. She did
not comment on whether the returns were being planned in coordination with
Syria's new ruling authority, set up by the Islamist rebels Hayat Tahrir
al-Sham, after they ousted former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad on Dec. 8,
2023.”



Iraq



Associated Press: Shiite Pilgrims Make Annual Pilgrimage In Iraq Amid Regional
Upheaval
<[link removed]>



“Thousands of Shiite pilgrims dressed in black marched on Saturday, heading
on foot toward the golden twin-domed shrine of Imam Moussa al-Kadhim in the
northwestern Baghdad district of al-Kadhimiyah. The site in the Iraqi capital
holds great religious significance for Shiite Muslims as it hosts the shrine of
Imam al-Kadhim, the seventh of the Twelve Imams of Shiite Islam, who died in
the late eighth century. This year, it comes amid seismic shifts in the region
that have left many Shiites feeling vulnerable, including the fall of the
government of Bashar Assad in neighboring Syria.”



Turkey



Reuters: Turkey's Foreign Minister To Visit Iraq To Discuss Kurdish Militants
And Security, Source Says
<[link removed]>



“Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan will visit Iraq on Sunday for talks
with officials on the fight against Kurdish militants, security issues and
bilateral ties, a Turkish diplomatic source said on Saturday. Ties between the
neighbours have been rocky in recent years due to Ankara's cross-border
military operations against Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) militants based in
northern Iraq's mountainous regions. However, they have improved since Baghdad
labelled the group a "banned organisation" last year and the countries agreed
to hold high-level security talks.”



Reuters: Turkey Says Joint Fight Needed Against Kurdish Militants, Islamic
State In The Region
<[link removed]>



“Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said on Sunday after talks in Baghdad
that a joint battle using "all our resources" must be carried out to eliminate
both Islamic State and Kurdish militants in the region. Fidan's visit took
place amid repeated calls from Turkey for the Kurdish YPG militia in northeast
Syria to disband following the fall of former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad
last month, with Ankara warning it could mount a new cross-border operation
against the group unless its concerns are addressed. The YPG spearheads the
U.S.-allied Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). Turkey considers them terrorists
that are an extension of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), against
which Ankara carries out regular cross-border military operations in northern
Iraq's mountainous regions.”



Afghanistan



Associated Press: Afghan Refugees Urge Pakistan To Ease Visa Regime After
Trump Pauses US Resettlement Programs
<[link removed]>



“Afghan refugees on Friday appealed to Pakistan’s premier to ease a visa
regime on humanitarian grounds after President Donald Trump paused the U.S.
refugee programs. Many Afghans whose visas have either expired or will expire
soon fear arrest and deportation. “We don’t know exactly when the pause of the
U.S. refugee program will be lifted, but we request Pakistan to extend our stay
for at least six months after the expiry of our visas,” said Ahmad Shah, a
member of the Afghan USRAP Refugees advocacy group. An estimated 20,000 Afghans
are currently waiting in Pakistan to be approved for resettlement in the U.S.
via an American government program.”



Associated Press: Taliban Ambassador Warns Rubio Against Bounty Threat Over
Americans Detained In Afghanistan
<[link removed]>



“A Taliban ambassador on Monday warned the new U.S. Secretary of State Marco
Rubio against making threats after saying he would place bounties on
Afghanistan’s rulers for their continued detention of U.S. nationals. A
prisoner swap between the U.S. and Afghanistan last week freed two Americans in
exchange for a Taliban figure, Khan Muhammad. The deal to release Ryan Corbett
and William McKenty was brokered by Joe Biden ’s administration before he left
office. But two more Americans, George Glezmann and Mahmood Habibi, remain in
Taliban custody. The Taliban have not revealed how many foreigners are behind
bars.”



Yemen



Associated Press: UN Suspends All Trips Into Houthi-Held Areas Of Yemen Over 7
More Staffers Being Detained
<[link removed]>



“The United Nations on Friday suspended all travel into areas held by Yemen’s
Houthi rebels after seven more of their staff were detained by the rebels. The
Houthis have already detained U.N. staffers, as well as individuals associated
with the once-open U.S. Embassy in Sanaa, Yemen’s capital, aid groups and civil
society. U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres late Friday demanded the
immediate and unconditional release of the seven, as well as all other U.N. who
are being held by the Houthis, some since 2021.



The New York Times: More Ships May Return To The Red Sea If Houthis Hold Their
Fire <[link removed]>



“A monthslong, costly disruption to global shipping could soon end now that
the Houthi insurgents in Yemen have signaled that they have suspended their
attacks on commercial vessels in the Red Sea. But any return to normality may
take a while. Shipping lines say they will only go back to the Red Sea once
they are convinced their vessels will not be attacked. That may take time as
the Houthis have pledged to renew their assaults if the Israel-Hamas cease-fire
breaks down or if the Houthis are targeted by Israel or the United States and
its allies. Even if freighters return to the Red Sea, the waterway between the
Indian Ocean and the Suez Canal, it could take time for shipping companies to
fully rejig their operations, some analysts say.”



The Wall Street Journal: Shippers Wary Of Red Sea Routes Despite Houthi Pledge
To End Targeting
<[link removed]>



“Big shipping companies say they won’t send vessels back to the Red Sea
despite a pledge by Iran-backed Houthi militants in Yemen not to attack them as
long as a cease-fire in Gaza holds. The world’s top three container shippers,
MSC Mediterranean Shipping, A.P. Moller-Maersk and CMA CGM, in recent days said
they would stick with other routes given what they called the unpredictable
situation in Gaza and broader tensions in the Middle East. “You don’t want to
send a gas carrier that will go up in flames,” said Nils Haupt, spokesman for
Germany’s biggest shipper, Hapag-Lloyd. “We don’t know when we will be
returning.””



Lebanon



CBS News: 22 Reported Killed In Lebanon As Israeli Forces Remain After A
Withdrawal Deadline
<[link removed]>



“Israeli forces killed at least 22 people and injured more than 124 others in
southern Lebanon on Sunday after protesters demanded their withdrawal in line
with a ceasefire agreement with Hezbollah, Lebanese authorities said. The dead
included two women and a Lebanese army soldier, the health ministry said in a
statement. Demonstrators, some of them carrying Hezbollah flags, attempted to
enter several villages to protest Israel's failure to withdraw from southern
Lebanon by the 60-day deadline stipulated in a ceasefire agreement that halted
the Israel-Hezbollah war in late November.”



Qatar



NBC News: Qatar Says Deal Is In Place To Release Israeli Hostage And Allow
Palestinians Into Northern Gaza
<[link removed]>



“Qatar announced early Monday that an agreement has been reached to release
an Israeli civilian hostage and allow Palestinians to return to northern Gaza,
easing the first major crisis of the fragile ceasefire between Israel and
Hamas. The statement from Qatar, a mediator in ceasefire talks, said Hamas will
hand over the civilian hostage, Arbel Yehoud, along with two other hostages
before Friday. On Monday, Israeli authorities will allow Palestinians to return
to northern Gaza. The office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in a
statement said the hostage release — which will include soldier Agam Berger —
will take place Thursday, and it confirmed that Palestinians can move north on
Monday.”



Middle East



Reuters: Exclusive: Hamas Has Added Up To 15,000 Fighters Since Start Of War,
US Figures Show
<[link removed]>



“The Palestinian militant group Hamas has recruited between 10,000 and 15,000
members since the start of its war with Israel, according to two congressional
sources briefed on U.S. intelligence, suggesting the Iran-backed fighters could
remain a persistent threat to Israel.

The intelligence indicates a similar number of Hamas fighters have been
killed during that period, the sources said. The latest official U.S. estimates
have not been previously reported. Hamas and Israel began a ceasefire on Sunday
after 15 months of a conflict that has devastated the Gaza Strip and inflamed
the Middle East.”



Associated Press: Tens Of Thousands Return To Devastated Northern Gaza As
Israel Lifts Its Closure Under Truce
<[link removed]>



“Tens of thousands of Palestinians streamed into the most heavily destroyed
part of the Gaza Strip on Monday as Israel lifted its closure of the north for
the first time since the early weeks of the 15-month war with Hamas in
accordance with a fragile ceasefire. Massive crowds of people walking with
their belongings stretched along a main road running next to the coast in a
stunning reversal of the mass exodus from the north at the start of the war
that many Palestinians had feared Israel would make permanent. Palestinians who
have been sheltering in squalid tent camps and schools-turned-shelters for over
a year are eager to return to their homes — even though they have likely been
damaged or destroyed.”



Nigeria



Associated Press: Nigerian Soldiers Killed 79 Militants And Suspected
Kidnappers In The Past Week, Army Says
<[link removed]>



“Nigerian soldiers killed 79 militants and suspected kidnappers over the past
week, the army said Friday, in an operation targeting a decades-long insurgency
by Islamic militants in the northeast and attacks by various armed groups in
the northwest. The West African country has been ramping up efforts to secure
the country as some 35,000 civilians have been killed and more than 2 million
displaced in the northeastern region, according to the U.N. The nationwide
operation by Nigeria’s military led to the arrest of 252 individuals and the
liberation of 67 hostages held by the militants, a Nigerian military
spokesperson, Edward Buba, said in a statement.”



Somalia



Bloomberg: Somalia Confirms Egypt To Take Part In Local Peacekeeping Force
<[link removed]>



“Somalia said it’s completed technical discussions with Egypt regarding
Cairo’s participation in an African Union-led peacekeeping force in the Horn of
Africa country. Somalia “looks forward to their contribution alongside other
troop-partner nations,” its Ministry of Defense said in a statement Monday. The
African Union Support and Stabilization Mission in Somalia, or Aussom, will
also include soldiers from neighboring Ethiopia, which has historically been a
key contributor to the United Nations-backed force that’s been fighting the
al-Shabaab militant group for almost two decades. Relations between Somalia and
Ethiopia have been improving following mediation from Turkey.”



Africa



Bloomberg: Interpol Operation Arrests 37 Terror Suspects In East Africa
<[link removed]>



“A joint operation by Interpol and Afripol led to the arrest of 37 suspected
members of terror groups including Islamic State and al Qaeda-linked al Shabaab
in East Africa in November and December. The suspects were arrested across
eight countries and were allegedly involved in terrorism financing,
radicalization and propaganda, making bombs and planting improvised explosive
devices, Interpol said in an emailed statement.”



United Kingdom



BBC: Teenager Charged With Terrorism Offences
<[link removed]>



“A 16-year-old boy who was arrested outside a mosque in Inverclyde has been
charged with terrorism offences. The teenager was detained outside the
Inverclyde Islamic Centre in Laird Street, Greenock, on Thursday. Police
Scotland said in a statement he had now been charged with terrorism offences
and was expected to appear at Greenock Sheriff Court on Monday. During the
investigation a second 16-year-old boy was also arrested in the Greenock area
but was released pending further inquiries.”



Technology



The Guardian: Recent School Shooters Appear To Have Crossed Paths In Online
Extremist Groups
<[link removed]>



“Two teenagers who carried out deadly shootings before killing themselves at
their respective high schools in attacks roughly a month apart from each other
appear to have crossed paths online, according to a new joint report from
ProPublica and Wisconsin Watch. The first shooting took place on 16 December at
the Abundant Life Christian school in Madison, Wisconsin. Two people – a
teacher and a 14-year-old student – were killed by the shooter, 15-year-old
Natalie Rupnow, before she killed herself. On Wednesday morning, Solomon
Henderson, a 17-year-old student at Antioch high school in the Nashville area,
killed a fellow student after firing 10 shots in a school cafeteria.”



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