From New Orleans to Las Vegas: The persistent threat of lone wolf terrorism to the world

The dawn of 2025 brought a chilling reminder of the ever-present threat of lone-wolf terrorism. On January 1st, in the early hours of the New Year, a horrific attack in New Orleans shocked the world, leaving 14 people dead and at least 35 others injured.

The attack, though still under investigation, is believed to be linked to the ideological motivations fueled by global conflicts, particularly the ongoing war in Gaza. With extremist groups seizing on the rhetoric surrounding the Gaza conflict, new terrorist threats are emerging, signaling a dangerous shift in the nature of global terrorism. This development highlights a concerning trend where lone actors, motivated by online propaganda and extremist ideologies, have become an increasingly potent and unpredictable threat.

The attack in New Orleans
The New Year’s Day attack in New Orleans occurred at approximately 03:15 local time, when a pickup truck crashed into a crowd of people gathered on Bourbon Street in the French Quarter, a popular area known for its vibrant nightlife and tourism. The pickup truck, a rented electric Ford F-150 Lightning, swerved onto the sidewalk to bypass a police car and plowed into pedestrians. Bourbon Street, always crowded with revelers, was particularly busy that night due to the celebrations ushering in the New Year. The attacker, identified as 42-year-old Shamsud-Din Jabbar, a U.S. Army veteran, was reportedly “hell-bent on creating carnage,” according to police. Jabbar had driven into crowds with the apparent intent to cause widespread destruction. After hitting pedestrians, Jabbar also opened fire on law enforcement officers, injuring two before being shot dead by police. The FBI confirmed Jabbar’s ties to extremist ideologies, with early investigations suggesting he had been radicalized by groups such as ISIS.

A second attack in Las Vegas

This tragedy was not an isolated event. Hours after the attack in New Orleans, another incident occurred in Las Vegas. Early that morning, a Tesla Cybertruck exploded outside the Trump International Hotel, killing one individual and injuring several others nearby. Initial reports indicated that the blast was linked to a possible terrorist attack, and law enforcement later identified the person inside the vehicle as Matthew Livelsberger, an Army Green Beret from Colorado Springs. Livelsberger, an active-duty soldier assigned to the U.S. Army Special Operations Command, had a history of service in Afghanistan, Ukraine, and Tajikistan. Investigations revealed that he had acted alone, and while the full motive behind the attack remains unclear, officials suspect it was a form of violent protest fueled by extremist ideologies. The attack occurred just hours after the New Orleans incident, which only reinforced the growing concern about the rise of lone wolf terrorism spurred by international conflicts.

While both attacks are still being investigated, they serve as potent reminders of the growing role that lone actors are playing in terrorism across the world. These individuals, often radicalized online and with access to powerful social media platforms, are able to carry out attacks without the logistical coordination of traditional terrorist cells. The New Orleans and Las Vegas incidents underscore the unpredictable and diffuse nature of modern terrorism, where the motivations of a single individual can have far-reaching and devastating consequences. However, it is the broader geopolitical context, particularly the ongoing Gaza conflict, which has ignited a resurgence in terrorist activity globally, creating fertile ground for lone wolf attacks to take place.
Gaza and its ripple effect.

The Gaza conflict, which escalated dramatically in October 2023, serves as a backdrop for the growing global wave of terrorism. The brutal attack by Hamas on Israeli soil on October 7, 2023, triggered a massive military response from Israel, resulting in widespread destruction and a humanitarian crisis in Gaza. The violence has claimed thousands of lives, predominantly among Palestinian civilians, while fueling anger, resentment, and the rise of radicalization in the region and beyond. The war has set in motion a series of cascading effects, including an uptick in terrorism globally, as extremist groups take advantage of the conflict to recruit new members, raise funds, and stir anti-Israel sentiment.

As the war rages on, groups like Hezbollah, ISIS, and Al-Qaeda have taken advantage of the chaos, using the Gaza conflict to promote a narrative of global jihad. Iran, a key supporter of Hamas and other Palestinian factions, has also escalated its role by arming and funding various proxy groups across the region, including in Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, and Yemen. Hezbollah, based in southern Lebanon, has been involved in increasingly frequent skirmishes with Israeli forces along the Lebanese-Israeli border. These developments have raised fears of a broader regional conflict in the Middle East. The rise of new terrorist cells in areas such as Syria and Iraq, especially those linked to ISIS and Al-Qaeda, is intensifying the global security threat.

In addition to these well-established groups, there has been a noticeable increase in attacks carried out by individuals or smaller cells who claim allegiance to the broader cause but operate independently. ISIS affiliates, while losing their territorial strongholds in Syria and Iraq, are still a potent force, particularly in regions such as Afghanistan (ISIS-Khorasan), West Africa, and parts of the Sahel. These affiliates exploit the power vacuum and instability created by conflicts like the Gaza war to propagate their radical ideology. Al-Qaeda, meanwhile, has reasserted itself by framing the Gaza conflict as a rallying cry for global jihad. They have issued statements encouraging attacks against Israeli and Western targets, which, in turn, have fueled lone wolf attacks in distant parts of the world.

The online radicalization of individuals, particularly in Western countries, has become one of the most concerning aspects of this new wave of terrorism. While traditional terror cells had to maintain operational secrecy and coordination, the rise of social media platforms has made it easier than ever for extremist ideologies to spread far and wide. Platforms like X (formerly Twitter), Telegram, and Facebook have become hotbeds for radicalization, where hate speech and calls for violent retaliation against perceived enemies—Israel, the U.S., and the West—are rampant. These platforms are increasingly being used by extremist groups to recruit followers, incite violence, and coordinate attacks.

Lone wolf terrorists are often radicalized by inflammatory rhetoric found on social media, where online communities of hate can provide a sense of belonging and purpose. For many, the motivation behind their attacks is a sense of perceived injustice, an ideological belief that their violent actions are justified in the name of a cause. Many lone wolves, like Jabbar in New Orleans, may not have formal ties to extremist groups but are deeply influenced by their ideologies and online propaganda. In this sense, the radicalization process becomes far more difficult to detect and counteract since the individuals involved may be isolated and disconnected from any organized network.

A significant consequence of this new type of terrorism is the rise of targeted violence against specific communities. Jewish institutions, synagogues, and pro-Israel groups have become frequent targets of such attacks, particularly in Europe and the U.S., where anti-Semitic sentiments have surged alongside anti-Israel rhetoric. In addition to Jewish communities, targets of these lone wolf attackers also include symbols of Western influence, such as U.S. military personnel or prominent political figures. The attacks on law enforcement in New Orleans and Las Vegas reflect this broader trend of targeting authority figures and symbols of government power.
Governments and security agencies around the world have responded to these threats by ramping up counterterrorism operations. While monitoring known terrorist groups and strengthening security measures around high-risk areas remains crucial, authorities are also facing the growing challenge of addressing the rise in lone wolf attacks. These attacks often happen with little warning, and the attackers may be relatively unknown to authorities before they strike. As such, governments must focus on detecting early signs of radicalization and preventing violence before it takes place.

The proliferation of terrorist threats due to the Gaza conflict is placing tremendous pressure on international counterterrorism efforts. Governments are scrambling to adapt their security measures to address the rapidly changing landscape of terrorism. Countries that have already faced the threat of radical Islamist groups are now witnessing new strains of extremism and violence. The international community is struggling with the dual challenges of containing the violence in Gaza and preventing it from spilling over into additional terrorist attacks across the globe.

President-elect Donald Trump has signaled eagerness to wrap up the war in Gaza as quickly as possible, even as the outgoing Biden administration continues its last-ditch diplomatic push for a ceasefire deal.

Trump said recently that he had a "very good talk" with Israel's prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, about the war in Gaza and reiterated his threat that "all hell is going to break out" if Hamas does not release its hostages by Jan. 20, the day Trump takes office.

"As you know, I gave a warning that if these hostages aren't back home by that date, all hell is going to break out," he said during a press conference in Palm Beach, Florida.

Later, Trump added that if no ceasefire deal is reached by the time he takes office, "It's not going to be pleasant."
Hamas-led militants killed 1,200 people and abducted more than 250, including Israeli-American dual nationals, during their Oct. 7, 2023 attack on Israel, according to Israeli tallies. More than 100 hostages have been freed through negotiations or Israeli military rescue operations. Of the 100 still held in Gaza, roughly half are believed to be alive.

While security forces around the world have ramped up their counterterrorism operations, including increasing surveillance and monitoring of suspected terrorists, the sheer scale of these threats poses a challenge. The war in Gaza has reignited tensions in many conflict zones, and the rise of homegrown radicalization only adds to the complexity of the issue.

The long-term impact of the Gaza conflict on global terrorism remains uncertain, but the current trajectory suggests that the effects of the war will reverberate for years to come, creating new challenges in the fight against terrorism worldwide.

The growing prevalence of lone wolf terrorism has become one of the most urgent challenges in global counterterrorism efforts. The war in Gaza, along with other global conflicts, has acted as a catalyst for the radicalization of individuals who are drawn to extremist ideologies but lack the resources or support to join larger organizations. As a result, governments must confront a new generation of terrorists who are both geographically dispersed and ideologically united by the global jihadist cause.

Despite the efforts of international counterterrorism agencies, the challenge of preventing lone wolf attacks remains immense. The global nature of the threat, exacerbated by the ongoing Gaza conflict, shows no signs of abating. Extremist ideologies will continue to inspire individuals across the world, and as long as the Gaza war continues to rage, it will serve as a central narrative for terrorist groups looking to radicalize new followers. The world must brace itself for the long-term impact of this ongoing conflict on global security, and the continuing rise of lone wolf terrorism will undoubtedly be one of the most pressing challenges in the years to come.

Governments, communities, and international organizations must act swiftly to develop comprehensive strategies for combating this new form of terrorism, one that transcends borders, organizations, and ideologies, and threatens the stability of the world on a global scale.