"When warning about civilian casualties from the Israeli offensive, Western governments are also thinking about the dangers of regional escalation. 'Hamas is interested in producing horrific images of dead Palestinian civilians and thereby dragging Iran and its proxies into this conflict,' Hans-Jakob Schindler from the international organization Counter Extremism Project recently told Deutsche Welle."

CEP CEO Ambassador Mark Wallace interviewed: "The way the Qataris pulled this off is by whitewashing their role in supporting Islamic extremism, by supporting businesses and investing vast sums of hydrocarbon wealth across places in London, in the United States, and elsewhere.

"...The perpetrators of these acts are hiding in plain sight, not even hiding, posted in plain sight in luxury." 

"Qatar has had every opportunity to hand over the perpetrators of Oct. 7 to face justice. It has flatly refused. We at the Counter Extremism Project will continue our campaign for the economic and diplomatic isolation of Qatar until every hostage is released, every Hamas leader is arrested and Qatar makes clear by its actions—not only words—that in the war against terrorism it is on our side.

Joseph Lieberman

Frances F. Townsend

Mark D. Wallace"

" And the Islamic State, the senior director of the Counter Extremism Project tells O’Donnell, 'is clearly trying to show its relevance.' The effect of competition on transnational terror groups is more pronounced than on localized groups for reasons that should be obvious: The financial rewards and the recruiting grounds are nearly limitless."

CEP Senior Director Dr. Hans-Jakob Schindler quoted: "These proxies are the armed groups in the region sponsored by Iran, including the Hezbollah militia in Lebanon. Hezbollah has repeatedly launched rocket attacks on Israel but, so far, refrained from mounting a broader offensive. A large-scale Israeli ground offensive is still far from certain, Schindler said."

"As for the impact of the strikes, 'Unfortunately, targeting these leaders will …l make a dent in the short run, eventually they will be replaced, given the nature of Hamas, which is dedicated to an ideology,' said Josh Lipowsky, senior research analyst with the Counter Extremism Project."