Eye on Extremism: February 18, 2026
Top Stories
Reuters: Hezbollah rejects disarmament plan and government's four-month timeline
Armed group Hezbollah rejected on Tuesday the Lebanese government's decision to grant the army at least four months to advance the second phase of a nationwide disarmament plan, saying it would not accept what it sees as a move serving Israel. Lebanon's cabinet tasked the army in August 2025 with drawing up and beginning to implement a plan to bring all armed groups' weapons under state control, a bid aimed primarily at disarming Hezbollah after its devastating war with Israel in 2024.
A military confrontation between the US and Iran could begin in the coming days and be an intensive, multi-week campaign, sources said Wednesday, despite ongoing diplomatic talks between Washington and Tehran. Former IDF Military Intelligence chief Amos Yadlin suggested Wednesday that such a confrontation could be imminent.
CEP Mentions
Deutsche Welle: Chaos in Syria: Where are German 'Islamic State' members?
"There is no perfect answer to this question," says Sofia Koller, a senior research analyst at the Berlin office of the Counter Extremism Project, or CEP, who's written several reports on the topic. "Politically it [repatriation] is controversial but from many other perspectives, it's not at all. Especially if we consider what the negative outcomes of not repatriating might be — that is, the kinds of outcomes we're seeing at the moment."
ZDF: The US and Iran: After nuclear negotiations in Geneva – What might happen next
What happens now? How likely is it that the US will attack Iran? Barbara Parente discusses this live on ZDFheute with ZDF correspondents David Sauer in Washington and Phoebe Gaa in Tehran, as well as Middle East expert [CEP Senior Director] Hans-Jakob Schindler.
WELT: "They have no weapons that could even remotely put the Americans in a difficult position."
Iran fires missiles at the Strait of Hormuz during a military exercise, blocking the central oil export route. Negotiations with the US remain inconclusive. “The Iranians will have difficulty blocking the straits in a real emergency,” says Middle East expert Hans-Jakob Schindler.
Analysis
Small Wars Journal: Claimed or Unclaimed: Patterns of Attribution in Global Terrorism
Despite extensive research on terrorist violence, far less attention has been paid to whether attacks are publicly claimed and what those attribution decisions reveal about organizational strategy. Claiming responsibility is not a trivial byproduct of terrorism but a deliberate communicative act that shapes public perception, government response, and inter-group competition. Yet, empirical trends suggest that most terrorist attacks today go unclaimed, raising important questions about when, why, and by whom responsibility is asserted.
In January 2026, the global landscape was marked by an alarming presence of terrorism and extremism linked to extreme right-wing ideologies. This analysis underscores the paramount significance of this issue in the contemporary world order. Terrorism and extremism, irrespective of their ideological roots, have long posed a grave threat to international peace and security. Recent times, however, have witnessed a distinct shift in this threat landscape. The ascent of extreme right-wing terrorism has introduced a new layer of complexity to the global security equation.
The Bondi massacre highlights ongoing challenges in Australia’s ability to detect and prevent lone-actor extremist violence, particularly when individuals are influenced by ISIS-linked networks and operate under the radar of intelligence agencies. Much remains unknown about the Bondi massacre that targeted a Hanukkah festival last December, resulting in the deaths of 15 attendees. What has been confirmed, however, is that the perpetrators, 24‑year‑old Naveed Akram and his father, Sajid Akram, were inspired by the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) ideology.
War on the Rocks: China Now Finds Itself in al-Qaeda’s Crosshairs
Could China replace the United States atop the target list of transnational jihadist groups like al-Qaeda? A recent statement released by Sheikh Saad bin Atef al Awlaqi, the emir of al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, directly threatened China, labeling its government as a “pagan, infidel” enemy whose actions against Uyghur Muslims justify future attacks. The statement marks a clear escalation in al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula’s anti-China rhetoric. But will it lead to a shift in operational goals?
United States
Fox 4 KDFW: Mistrial in federal domestic terrorism case over Alvarado ICE facility attack
A day of federal jury selection in the high-profile Alvarado ICE ambush case abruptly ended in a mistrial Tuesday. The decision came during voir dire, the jury selection process, and was tied to what one of the defense attorneys was wearing while questioning potential jurors.
Texas Observer: The ‘Antifa Scare’ Goes on Trial in North Texas
On a warm Saturday afternoon in February, a small group of 10 people walked through a metal gate, propped open with a black trash can, and into a beige, fluorescent-lit room inside a teachers union hall in the Oak Cliff neighborhood in southern Dallas. They were there for a presentation titled “The Prairieland Defendants: A Landmark Battle for Free Expression & Immigrant Rights.”
Since assuming office last year, Florida Jewish Rep. Randy Fine has ignited pushback on a regular basis over his comments about Muslims and Palestinians. This week anger over a new tweet from the GOP Congressman spilled over even further, igniting a wide rebuke from Jews and pro-Israel figures on the other side of the aisle — some of whom are now calling for Fine’s censure or resignation.
NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch wants to change a bill that would severely restrict protests up to 100 feet from houses of worship. The bill was proposed by NYC Council Speaker Julie Menin after two protests targeted synagogues hosting Israel-related events.
US President Donald Trump has directly urged Tucker Carlson to ease the internal conservative fight over Israel, telling him and others to “turn down the temperature,” according to Melissa Francis, a former Fox News and Fox Business anchor who has been active in pro-Israel advocacy since October 7.
United Nations
Reuters: Independent UN body condemns 'vicious attacks' on UN expert on Palestinian rights
An independent United Nations body on Tuesday condemned what it described as vicious attacks based on disinformation by several European ministers against the organisation's special rapporteur for Palestine, Francesca Albanese. In the past week several European countries, including Germany, France and Italy, called for Albanese’s resignation over her alleged criticism of Israel. Albanese, an Italian lawyer, denies making the remarks.
Canada
CBC: Two Saskatoon teens charged over online violent extremism
Two Saskatoon teenagers are in custody and facing charges of uttering threats after a national security investigation into an online account sharing content related to violent extremism.
Andorra
An annual festival in Andorra drew condemnation from the country’s small Jewish community after an effigy bearing the Israeli flag was staged in a mock trial and then hung and shot. The incident was part of the traditional Catalan festival Carnestoltes, which occurs yearly before Lent, the 40-day period that precedes Easter. At Monday’s festival in Andorra, where a mock king is typically tried and burned, organizers instead used an effigy wearing blue with the Israeli flag painted on its face.
France
France's judicial police launched a wave of arrests on the evening of Tuesday, February 17, five days after the fatal assault on Quentin Deranque, a 23-year-old student and far-right activist who was beaten on a sidewalk in Lyon. The attack followed clashes between radical groups on the sidelines of a conference by hard-left La France Insoumise (LFI) MEP Rima Hassan on Thursday, February 12, at Sciences Po Lyon.
Reuters: French police arrest hard-left members over killing of far-right activist
Four people, including an aide to a French hard-left lawmaker, have been arrested on suspicion of involvement in the killing of a far-right activist that has jolted the country's political class, a police source said on Tuesday. Quentin Deranque, 23, died on Saturday after he was beaten to death by hard-left activists outside a conference in Lyon given by Rima Hassan, a far-left member of the European Parliament. Videos of the deadly fight were widely shared on social media.
“‘From the river to the sea’ is a call for destruction and should be punished if the law is adopted,” French MP Caroline Yadan told The Jerusalem Post on Tuesday, as her bill to combat renewed forms of antisemitism enters its final stages.
Germany
Deutsche Welle: Lower Saxony: AfD state chapter designated extremist group
The northern state of Lower Saxony's internal intelligence agency will monitor the Alternative for Germany (AfD) political party as a "surveillance object of considerable import" on the far-right. Interior Minister Daniela Behrens and state intelligence agency (or Verfassungsschutz) head Dirk Pejril announced the move at a press conference on Tuesday.
Georgia
ANEWZ: Georgia introduces new ‘extremism’ law amid ongoing legitimacy dispute and western criticism
Georgia’s ruling party, Georgian Dream, is moving to criminalise what it calls “extremism against the constitutional order”, introducing a new article to the Criminal Code that could lead to prison sentences of up to three years.
Spain
A pro-Israel group says it is taking legal action against the Reina Sofía Museum in Madrid after a museum staffer ejected three elderly Israeli women who displayed the Israeli flag and the Star of David on its premises. The incident drew condemnation from Jewish groups and leaders as video from the encounter on Saturday circulated online.
United Kingdom
A British woman who is married to a Jewish anti-Zionist activist has been convicted of theft in connection with a 2024 incident in which she removed an Israeli hostage poster and threw it in the trash. Fiona Monro, 58, of Brighton, England, was found guilty of theft, but not convicted of criminal damage for charges stemming from a February 2024 incident in which she took a large laminated poster of Israeli hostage Tzachi Idan and disposed of it.
Ukraine
Kyiv Independent: Explosion at Ukrainian military enlistment office declared terrorist attack
An explosion at a military enlistment office in the city of Kolomyia, in western Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast, has been classified as a terrorist attack, the regional prosecutor's office said. The news comes amid a rise in attacks on vehicles belonging to military personnel across Ukraine. In the past two weeks alone, two such incidents have been reported in Odesa.
Tajikistan
AKIPress: Tajikistan reports sharp decline in terror and extremism crimes following legal reforms
Prosecutor General Khabibullo Vokhidzoda announced during a press conference on February 15 that terrorism and extremism-related crimes in Tajikistan dropped by more than 23% in 2025 compared to the previous year.
Afghanistan
Afghanistan International: Taliban Leader Calls For Unity, Obedience In Kandahar
The Taliban say their leader, Hibatullah Akhundzada, addressed religious scholars in Kandahar, stressing obedience, unity and loyalty to what the group calls the Islamic Emirate. The Taliban’s deputy spokesperson said on Tuesday, 17 February, that Akhundzada delivered the speech at Kandahar provincial hall.
Afghanistan International: Anti-Taliban Group Claims Deadly Attack In Kunduz
The Afghanistan Freedom Front (AFF) said its forces attacked a Taliban checkpoint in Bala Hesar Square in Kunduz on Monday evening, claiming two Taliban members were killed and two others wounded.
Egypt
Manassa: Egyptian rights groups say terrorism trials risk lives, erode justice
Three Egyptian human rights groups said defendants tried in terrorism courts, especially at Badr Criminal Court, face repeated, systemic breaches of fair-trial guarantees that they say have turned proceedings into a conveyor belt of detention renewals and mass convictions.
Gaza Strip/West Bank
Jerusalem Post: Hamas-linked org. trains Gazans to edit Wikipedia pages about Israel, Palestine
A Hamas-linked organization, Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor, is training Gazans to edit Wikipedia pages about the Israel-Hamas war as part of its "WikiRights” program.
Times of Israel: 10 settler rabbis warn against ‘violence of any sort,’ amid attacks on Palestinians
A group of 10 prominent rabbis from the northern West Bank have issued a public statement stating their opposition to violence and warning that irresponsible behavior could endanger the larger settlement project. The letter — dated February 8, but made public on Monday — emphasized the rabbis’ full support for establishing new outposts in the region, so long as it’s done in coordination with the local council and without acts of violence.
Islamic State-affiliated jihadists who were suspected of planning a terror attack were captured by Israeli troops and police officers during two separate operations in the West Bank city of Jericho. Troops of the Lions of the Valley Battalion last week captured three members of the cell in Jericho, and in a separate raid yesterday carried out by Border Police officers, another member was nabbed, the IDF and Israel Police say.
Iran
Iran International: IRGC navy commander says force can close Strait of Hormuz ‘in shortest time’
IRGC navy commander Alireza Tangsiri said his forces could close the Strait of Hormuz if ordered, as indirect nuclear negotiations between Iran and the United States continue in Geneva.
Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei decried the criminal acts that took place on late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein’s private island as the outcome of “Western civilization and liberal democracy” in a pair of social media posts on Tuesday.
Syria
Wall Street Journal: A Giant ISIS Detention Facility Comes Apart in Syria’s Desert
The Syrian government is moving to close a detention camp that held tens of thousands of people including family members of suspected Islamic State fighters, after unrest threatened its grip on the facility just weeks after taking it over. Responsibility for the al-Hol detention camp changed hands in January, when the Syrian government launched an offensive that routed the U.S.-backed, Kurdish-led militia that had controlled it along with much of northeastern Syria.
Australia
Reuters: Australia to ban citizen from returning to country under rarely-used terror laws
Australia said on Wednesday it would temporarily ban one of its citizens held in a Syrian camp from returning to the country, under rarely-used powers aimed at preventing terror activity. Thirty-four Australians in a northern Syrian facility holding families of suspected Islamic State militants are expected to return home after their release was conditionally approved by camp authorities.
Prevention methods to tackle radicalisation are being discussed by experts at a New South Wales inquiry into measures to combat right-wing extremism. The state's law and safety committee is investigating the threat right-wing extremist movements pose to the wider community, including to members they try to recruit.
AFP: Australian right-wing lawmaker denounced for comments suggesting there are no ‘good’ Muslims
Australia’s race discrimination watchdog demands an apology over remarks by a hard-right lawmaker targeting Muslims. Anti-immigration One Nation party leader Pauline Hanson said Monday that Australia should show a “tough stance” against Islam and radicalization.
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