The Dutch counterterror agency has raised the national threat alert to the second-highest level

The Dutch counterterrorism agency on Tuesday lifted the country’s threat alert to its second-highest level, saying the possibility of an attack in the country is now “substantial.”

The announcement marked the first time the threat level has been so high since the end of 2019 and came a week after the European Union’s home affairs commissioner, Ylva Johansson, warned that the continent faces a “ huge risk of terrorist attacks ” over the Christmas holiday period because of the fallout from the war between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas.

The Dutch National Coordinator for Counterterrorism and Security also said in its threat assessment that “the violent conflict in Israel and the Palestinian territories, Quran desecrations in various European countries and calls for attacks from terrorist organizations have increased the threat from jihadism.”

Read more: AP