Eye on Extremism: February 12, 2026
Top Stories
Associated Press: Deaths in Iran’s crackdown on protests reach at least 7,000, activists say
The death toll from a crackdown over Iran’s nationwide protests last month has reached at least 7,002 people killed with many more still feared dead, activists said Thursday.
Times of Israel: Diplomats say Egypt, EU won’t train Hamas-linked officers for Gaza police force
Neither Egypt nor the European Union will train police officers in Gaza who are affiliated with Hamas, an Egyptian and a European diplomat tell The Times of Israel, following reports that Hamas is seeking roles for its 10,000 police officers in the postwar Strip.
CEP Mentions
CEP senior research analyst Sofia Koller talks to BR about German men, women, and children who are still in Syria.
Analysis
A report at Reuters on February 11 said that private contractors from a security firm that was previously involved in securing the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation sites could be used in Gaza as the new phase of the US-backed ceasefire continues. This report comes as other reports indicate that Indonesia may be the first country to deploy peacekeepers to the International Stabilization Force, which is part of the US-backed Board of Peace plan. At the same time, it appears that Gaza-based militias are also vying for control.
Lowy Institute: Australia’s social media ban is only half the solution for online radicalization
Youth involvement in terrorism worldwide has surged. In 2024, the number of terrorist incidents in the West rose to 52, up from 32 the previous year. But the most alarming trend is the age of those involved.
United States
US President Donald Trump met privately with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House on Wednesday, and later said he had insisted to the Israeli leader that American negotiations with Iran continue.
The Guardian: Trump’s pick for top diplomatic role faces scrutiny over ‘white supremacist’ views
Donald Trump’s pick for a top diplomatic post has championed “white supremacist, racist, antisemitic and homophobic views”, a former US state department official has warned. Jeremy Carl is set to go before the Senate foreign relations committee on Thursday as the president’s nominee for assistant secretary of state for international organisations, a role that involves managing relationships with and policies toward the United Nations and its agencies.
Catholic right-wing activist Carrie Prejean Boller has been removed from the White House Religious Liberty Commission over what the chair called her “political agenda” during a public hearing on antisemitism this week. The announcement of Prejean Boller’s removal by Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, an evangelical Christian, on Wednesday came after Prejean Boller spurned calls to resign from her post amid mounting backlash over her remarks on Monday.
Jewish Insider: GOP senator Ted Budd calls on Qatar to extradite Hamas leader to the U.S.
Sen. Ted Budd (R-NC) called on Qatar to extradite Hamas operative Khaled Mashaal to the U.S., telling Jewish Insider on Wednesday that the leader has the “blood of Americans on his hands.” Mashaal, who is under U.S. indictment on terrorism-related charges, appeared this past weekend at the Al Jazeera Forum in Doha, where he rejected the U.N. Security Council-backed plan for Gaza — a move that could further complicate U.S. efforts to advance Phase 2 of President Donald Trump’s Gaza peace initiative.
The Guardian: Elon Musk posted about race almost every day in January
Elon Musk’s longtime fixation on a white racial majority is intensifying. The richest man in the world posted about how the white race was under threat, made allusions to race science or promoted anti-immigrant conspiracy content on 26 out of 31 days in January, according to the Guardian’s analysis of his social media output. The posts, made on his platform X, reflect a renewed embrace of what extremism experts describe as white supremacist material.
Arizona Daily Star: Arizona 'civil terrorism' bill includes potential for prison
People who block traffic in protest, trespass in a building or commit other minor crimes could end up in state prison under the terms of legislation making its way through the state House. But it could depend on what they are protesting — and why.
WKMG News 6: Florida can dub groups as terrorists under new proposal. Here’s how it works
here’s a new proposal making headway through the Florida legislature that would give the state the power to label certain groups as terrorists. That bill — HB 1471 — was originally filed by state Rep. Hillary Cassel (R-Hollywood) early last month, and it seeks to make a variety of changes to state law regarding terrorist organizations.
A prominent white nationalist claimed the alt-right movement is in decline and used a gay slur on his popular livestream to describe the movement. Asked by a viewer if he still considers himself a white nationalist, Nick Fuentes replied, “honestly, I don’t feel like one anymore. “Do I want America to be a white country? Yes, I’m pro-white. But the movement has just been captured by losers and idiots,” he said.
United Nations
AFP: France calls on UN rapporteur Albanese to resign over ‘common enemy’ Israel remarks
France was calling for the resignation of the UN special rapporteur for the Palestinian territories over comments she made targeting Israel at a conference, the French foreign minister said on Wednesday.
Canada
The shooter who killed eight people and wounded dozens more in one of Canada’s deadliest mass shootings Tuesday allegedly tweeted antisemitic content two days before the attack.
France
RFI: Paris prosecutor calls for trial over alleged arms trafficking with far-right links
The National Anti-Terrorism Prosecutor’s Office (Pnat) confirmed to French news agency AFP that it had requested a trial before the criminal court for six of the accused, and a hearing before the juvenile court for a seventh, who was a minor at the time of the alleged offences.
France 24: Paris appeals court sets verdict in far-right leader Le Pen’s graft case for July 7
A Paris appeals court said Wednesday it will rule on July 7 in a fraud case against far-right leader Marine Le Pen in what is expected to be a pivotal moment for French politics. A lower court last year handed the 57-year-old veteran politician a five-year ban from public office over a fake jobs scam at the European parliament, dashing her presidential ambitions.
Germany
Daily Sabah: Germany arrests 2 men with suspected ties to PKK terrorists
Authorities in Germany arrested two men suspected of connections to the PKK terrorist group and confiscated several illegal firearms and a significant quantity of drugs, local media reported Thursday. According to Bild daily, the investigation began when police officers in the eastern city of Leipzig stopped a taxi during a routine traffic check on Saturday evening.
Deutsche Welle: Germany's far-right AfD party accused of nepotism
The populist far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) likes to present itself as anti-establishment and as the voice of ordinary people. Nepotism in political parties, they believe, never goes down well with voters. When former Economy Minister Robert Habeck from the Green Party allowed friends or family members of his personnel to be hired back in 2023, AfD officials quickly accused him of "nepotism" and of fostering "clan criminality."
United Kingdom
The Green Party has been reported to counter-terrorism police by an internal whistleblower. Fears are growing that the party is becoming a breeding-ground for anti-Jewish extremists.
The Telegraph: Terrorist inspired by Al-Qaeda to be released from prison
A terrorist inspired by Al-Qaeda who plotted a bomb attack on a Territorial Army base is to be released from jail three years early despite experts warning that he is too dangerous to free. Zahid Iqbal, 43, was a member of a terrorist gang that planned the attack in Luton in which a remote-controlled toy car would be used to carry a homemade bomb.
GBN: Counter-terrorism police take over London school stabbing investigation as teenager arrested
A 13-year-old boy has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder, with counter-terrorism officers now leading the investigation the stabbing of two teenage boys at a secondary school in north London.
Russia
Reuters: Russia fully blocks WhatsApp, talks up state-backed alternative
U.S. messenger app WhatsApp, owned by Meta Platforms (META.O), opens new tab, has been completely blocked in Russia for failing to comply with local law, the Kremlin said on Thursday, suggesting Russians turn to a state-backed "national messenger" instead. "Due to Meta's unwillingness to comply with Russian law, such a decision was indeed taken and implemented," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters, proposing that Russians switch to MAX, Russia's state-owned messenger.
Afghanistan
Abdul Ghani Baradar, the Taliban’s deputy prime minister for economic affairs, said the group’s administration is working to bring Afghans together under what he described as a single “Islamic and national position.” He argued that the country had previously been divided along political, ethnic, regional and linguistic lines.
Afghanistan International: Taliban Seeks Discounted Oil & Gas From Iran During Kabul Talks
Iran’s deputy oil minister, Seyed Ali-Mohammad Mousavi, has travelled to Kabul to discuss increasing exports of fuel and liquefied gas to Afghanistan. During a meeting with Nooruddin Azizi, the Taliban’s acting minister of commerce, Azizi called on Iran to offer special discounts on oil and gas supplies to Afghanistan.
The Taliban’s Finance Ministry says it is reactivating the Afghanistan–Saudi Arabia Joint Economic Commission on the orders of the group’s leader, Hibatullah Akhundzada, in an effort to expand bilateral economic cooperation. In a statement issued Thursday, the ministry said the decision followed internal consultations on resuming the commission’s activities. The first meeting of Afghan members of the commission has already been held.
Gaza Strip/West Bank
Reuters: Exclusive: US firm in Gaza aid program, criticized by UN, in talks for new role
A U.S. security firm that deployed armed veterans to guard Gaza aid sites is in talks with the Trump administration’s Board of Peace about its next role in the enclave, the company said on Wednesday, after previously facing U.N. criticism over deadly scenes at its distribution points.
UG Solutions made the disclosure, which has not been previously reported, after Reuters reported it was recruiting Arabic-speaking contractors with combat experience for work in undisclosed locations. A source with direct knowledge of the Board's planning confirmed talks were under way with the firm.
Jerusalem Post: Hamas documents name former World Vision Gaza director as member of terror group
Hamas spied on and interrogated staff from the NGO World Vision, disrupting attempts by whistleblowers to obstruct a trial against the charity’s former Gaza director, Hamas internal documents captured by the IDF during the war revealed.
Times of Israel: US aims to fundraise for Gaza reconstruction amid fog over Hamas disarmament
The United States will host the inaugural meeting of the Gaza-overseeing Board of Peace next week, using the opportunity to try and raise funds for the reconstruction of the war-torn coastal enclave. It will be a tough pitch, as Hamas still dominates the western half of the Gaza Strip, Israel remains in control of the eastern half, and IDF strikes on what it says are terror operatives throughout the territory have continued on a near-daily basis since Washington brokered a ceasefire in October 2025 aimed at ending two years of war.
The IDF, with direction from the Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency), concluded a broad counterterrorism operation across 12 villages along the seam line in the Menashe Brigade sector, the military confirmed on Wednesday.
Iran
Iran International: Khamenei thanks supporters for turnout at state rally in new video message
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei released a new video message from an undisclosed location on Thursday, thanking supporters for their turnout at the February 11 state-organized rallies marking the anniversary of the 1979 Revolution. Khamenei said the rallies “disappointed enemies who seek to force the Iranian nation into submission.”
Israel
Hamas accuses Israel of the “direct assault and deliberate beating” of Abdullah Barghouti, a Hamas commander serving life in Israeli jail since 2003 for his role in terror attacks that killed dozens of Israelis during the Second Intifada.
Israel Police officers from the Jerusalem District Unit completed the interrogation of a 50-year-old resident of Kalandiya who was arrested last week and suspected of planning a terror attack, police confirmed on Wednesday.
Lebanon
Reuters: Lebanon to decide on plan to control arms north of Litani next week, minister says
Lebanon’s government will decide next week how to move to the second phase of a plan to extend its authority and place all arms under state control in areas north of the Litani River, its information minister said on Wednesday. The decision will be based on a presentation by the army outlining its needs and capabilities, the minister, Paul Morcos, told reporters during a visit to Kuwait, where he was attending an Arab meeting.
Qatar
Jerusalem Post: Senior Hamas officials meet Iran's Larijani in Doha to discuss conditions in Gaza
A delegation of senior Hamas officials met in Doha on Wednesday with the secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council to discuss regional developments and the condition of the war-ravaged Gaza Strip, Palestinian and Iranian media reported.
Syria
Syria’s president, interior minister and foreign minister were the targets of five foiled assassination attempts last year, the U.N. chief said in a report on threats posed by Islamic State militants released Wednesday. The report said President Ahmad al-Sharaa was targeted in northern Aleppo, the country’s most populous province, and southern Daraa by a group called Saraya Ansar al-Sunnah, which was assessed to be a front for the Islamic State group.
Reuters: At Damascus book fair, Islamist titles and Kurdish culture echo big shifts
Owning a copy of Sayyid Qutb's "Milestones" could land you in jail or worse in Syria when the Assads ruled. But at a Damascus book fair this month, the title by the radical Islamist ideologue was on prominent display and selling well. Held for the first time since Bashar al-Assad was ousted, this year's Damascus International Book Fair reflects deep changes in Syria since its nominally secular order was overthrown by Islamist rebels led by President Ahmed al-Sharaa.
AFP: Most families of foreign fighters said to have left ISIS-linked camp in Syria
Most foreign families have left northeast Syria’s Al-Hol camp, which holds relatives of fighters for the Islamic State jihadist group, since the departure of Kurdish forces who previously guarded it, humanitarian sources tell AFP. Located in a desert region of Hasakeh province, Al-Hol is Syria’s largest camp for suspected ISIS relatives and was home to some 24,000 people, mostly women and children, including some 15,000 Syrians, several thousand Iraqis and more than 6,000 other foreigners from around 40 nationalities.
Yemen
Yemen Online: GPC Leadership Rejects Symbolic Participation in New Houthi Gov't
Well-informed Yemeni sources reported that the leadership of the General People’s Congress (GPC) continues to reject symbolic participation in the new Houthi-led government, whose announcement has been delayed for more than four months following the killing of former party head Ahmed Al-Rahwi and several ministers in an Israeli airstrike on Sana’a.
Pakistan
Afghanistan International: Pakistan Envoy Discusses Terrorism Concerns With UNAMA Delegation
Mohammad Sadiq Khan, Pakistan’s special representative for Afghanistan, met a delegation from the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) in Islamabad to discuss regional security concerns and cooperation. Sadiq Khan said in a post on X that the meeting focused on what he described as “cross-border terrorism” and broader regional security challenges posed by militant groups based in Afghanistan.
Minute Mirror: Pakistan observe International Day on Prevention of Violent Extremism
The Punjab Center for Excellence on Countering Violent Extremism (CoE-CVE), Home Department Punjab organized a special event to celebrate the International Day on Prevention of Violent Extremism here on Thursday.
Governor Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Faisal Karim Kundi has emphasized the need for stronger parliamentary action, effective legislation and enhanced institutional capacity to eliminate terrorism and extremism in Pakistan. Addressing a dialogue workshop on countering extremism and terrorism organized by SSDO, the Governor termed the initiative a constructive step toward developing a coordinated national response to evolving security challenges. He said terrorism continues to pose a serious threat to Pakistan’s peace, social harmony and economic progress.
Congo
Reuters: UN to launch reconnaissance flights to support eastern Congo ceasefire
The UN peacekeeping mission in Democratic Republic of Congo will send reconnaissance flights to the eastern city of Uvira as part of preparations to help monitor a ceasefire between the government and the AFC/M23 rebel group, it said on Thursday. AFC/M23 captured Uvira in December and withdrew a week later under pressure from the United States. Congo's army moved back into the town last month.
Nigeria
Associated Press: US will send troops to Nigeria to train the military to fight extremism
The United States is sending troops to Nigeria to help train the West African nation’s military in fighting extremism, Nigerian authorities said Wednesday, as a multifaceted security crisis spreads in the north of the country.
Australia
AFP Commissioner Krissy Barrett has issued a stark warning to extremists and hate groups, declaring authorities will “disrupt and intervene however and whenever we lawfully can” as terror threats evolve across Australia. Opening her address at Senate Estimates on Wednesday evening, Commissioner Barrett said it was the AFP’s first appearance since the Bondi Beach terrorist attack on 14 December 2025, which remains the subject of an active criminal investigation and a Royal Commission.
President Isaac Herzog said Thursday that antisemitism in Australia is “frightening” but that most people want good relations with the Jewish community. He was speaking on the final day of a visit that was met with multiple protests, and as graffiti calling for his death was scrawled at a university.
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