Al-Qaeda Threatens Prominent Figures in Retaliation for Israel-Hamas Conflict

The terrorist group al-Qaeda has threatened to kill Elon Musk, Bill Gates, Satya Nadella, and Ben Bernanke in retaliation for the United States' support of Israel in the recent Israel-Hamas conflict.

In a video released on December 31, 2024, al-Qaeda called on its supporters to target flights operated by American, British, and French companies. The video also showed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu meeting with world leaders, including U.S. President Joe Biden.

Al-Qaeda's media arm, al-Malahem, said that the United States and its allies are targets because they supported Israel's airstrikes in Gaza, which killed more than 20,000 people. The video also called for an "open-source jihad" in support of Palestine, and it provided instructions on how to make advanced bombs using food items.

In addition to Musk, Gates, and Bernanke, the video also targeted Satya Nadella, the CEO of Microsoft. Nadella is of Indian origin. The al-Qaeda "open-source jihad" campaign is designed to attract Muslims to the cause of jihad by providing them with the information and training they need to make explosives and carry out suicide bombings. The term "open-source jihad" was first used in July 2010 by al-Malahem in its English-language magazine.

The video also accused Western countries of colluding in a war against Islam. It cited the example of Hassan al-Assiri, a suicide bomber who targeted the deputy minister of interior in Saudi Arabia, and al-Farooq, who attempted to attack a Delta Airlines flight. The FBI and other U.S. law enforcement agencies are investigating the threats.