Three Singaporean men were detained under the Internal Security Act after their radicalisation was either triggered or accelerated by the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict, as confirmed by the Internal Security Department (ISD) in November 2024. The ISD stated that each of the individuals had self-radicalised online and had made preparations to engage in armed violence overseas.
According to ISD, “While their cases are not related, their radicalisation was either triggered or accelerated by the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict.” One of the men, Muhammad Indra Aqmal Effendy, 21, expressed strong sentiments towards fighting for Hamas after witnessing the conflict unfold. He believed that fighting for Hamas was a legitimate form of armed jihad and aspired to die as a martyr while doing so. ISD reported that Indra practiced weapons handling using toy guns and researched travel routes to Gaza to join the conflict.
Mohamad Latiff Rahim, 41, who was based in Bangkok, had already started his radicalization journey back in 2010 after consuming online content on Islamic eschatological prophecies. The escalating Israel-Hamas conflict convinced Latiff that the End-of-Times was near, further fueling his desire to engage in armed violence. He viewed the IDF and the Israeli government as enemies and expressed readiness to carry out attacks instructed by Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Nurisham Yusoff, a 44-year-old security guard, embraced extremist ideologies after being exposed to radical preachers and materials discussing martyrdom. His interest in the Israel-Hamas conflict led him to believe that joining Hamas’ armed wing was a legitimate form of armed jihad. Nurisham was proactive in his preparations for armed violence, researching ways to travel to Gaza and training at shooting ranges in Batam.
ISD emphasized that all three men acted alone, without recruiting others in Singapore or involving their families in their plans for violence. The agency urged the public to remain vigilant against extremist narratives that promote terrorism and violent extremism, and to report any signs of radicalization to the authorities.
As ISD highlighted, “Even though it has been more than a year since the start of the conflict, extremist narratives on it, as well as on the growing strife in the Middle East, have not abated.” The cases serve as a stark reminder of the impact overseas conflicts can have on Singapore’s security and the importance of combating radicalization within the community.
