Has ISIS ever attacked Israel?

 

ISIS Attacks on Israel: Documented Incidents, Sinai Operations, and the Limits of a Global Jihadist Campaign

The Islamic State (ISIS, also known as ISIL or Daesh) has, contrary to persistent conspiracy theories, carried out or claimed responsibility for attacks against Israel. These operations have primarily originated from its Egyptian affiliate, Wilayat Sinai (Islamic State – Sinai Province, formerly Ansar Bayt al-Maqdis), which has launched sporadic rocket strikes from the Sinai Peninsula. Additional incidents include claimed or inspired attacks by supporters and lone actors inside Israel or the West Bank. While ISIS propaganda has repeatedly threatened Israel—portraying it as part of the “Crusader-Zionist” enemy—the group has never made the Jewish state a primary operational priority. Its core leadership in Iraq and Syria focused on establishing a caliphate, fighting “near enemies” (Shiites, apostate regimes), and launching high-profile attacks in Europe and elsewhere. Affiliates like Wilayat Sinai have occasionally targeted Israel symbolically or in retaliation, but these efforts remain limited in scale and impact compared to ISIS’s campaigns in Egypt, Syria, Iraq, or the West.

This article expands on verified incidents, drawing from official claims by ISIS media (such as Amaq News Agency), Israeli security assessments, and contemporaneous reporting. It also addresses the group’s broader strategic calculus and debunks myths suggesting no attacks have ever occurred.

### Wilayat Sinai and Cross-Border Rocket Attacks (2015–2017)

Wilayat Sinai, which pledged allegiance to ISIS in November 2014, emerged as the most active ISIS affiliate targeting Israel from Egyptian territory. Originally focused on the Egyptian state—conducting mass-casualty attacks on security forces, beheadings of suspected informants, and downing an Egyptian helicopter in 2014—the group occasionally fired rockets into Israel, often framing them as responses to perceived Israeli support for Egypt or airstrikes. These low-tech attacks caused no fatalities but demonstrated intent and drew international attention.

- **July 3, 2015: Eshkol Region Rocket Fire**  

  Wilayat Sinai fired three Grad rockets from Sinai into southern Israel’s Eshkol Regional Council near the Gaza Strip. Two rockets impacted confirmed sites; none caused injuries or significant damage. The group claimed responsibility via social media and Twitter statements by supporters, explicitly directing the strikes at “occupied Palestine.” Israeli military sources confirmed the launches originated from Sinai amid heightened tensions following ISIS-claimed attacks on Egyptian forces that killed 17 soldiers. This marked one of the earliest public ISIS-affiliated strikes on Israeli soil.

- **February 9, 2017: Eilat Rocket Barrage**  

  Operatives launched four Grad rockets toward Eilat, Israel’s southernmost Red Sea resort city. Israel’s Iron Dome intercepted three; the fourth landed harmlessly in an open area. No physical casualties occurred, though 11 civilians were treated for shock. Wilayat Sinai claimed the attack on Telegram, vowing “What is coming is graver and more bitter” and targeting “gatherings of Zionist occupiers.” The strike followed reported Israeli drone activity in Sinai.

- **February 20, 2017: Follow-Up Eshkol Strikes**  

  Two additional rockets struck the Eshkol region the day after ISIS claimed an Israeli drone had killed several of its fighters (including a Palestinian from Gaza). No casualties resulted. This incident underscored escalating tit-for-tat dynamics along the border.

- **October 15–16, 2017: Additional Eshkol Rockets**  

  Two long-range rockets were fired toward southern Israeli communities near the Gaza border. ISIS’s Amaq agency claimed the strikes targeted Israeli Air Force jets operating in the area. The IDF investigated possible links to ongoing Egyptian-ISIS clashes.

Wilayat Sinai has also sabotaged the Egypt-Israel gas pipeline multiple times (e.g., February and November 2020), explicitly citing its role in “linking the Jews and the apostate Egyptian government.” These actions reflect the group’s secondary focus on Israel while prioritizing insurgency against Cairo. By the early 2020s, Egyptian counterterrorism operations had significantly degraded Wilayat Sinai’s capabilities, reducing cross-border threats.

### The 2017 Jerusalem Old City Attack: ISIS’s Claimed “First” Operation Inside Israel

On June 16, 2017, three young Palestinian men from the West Bank village of Deir Abu Mash’al—Adel Ankush (18), Baraa Ibrahim Salih Taha (18), and Osama Ahmad Dahdouh (19)—carried out a coordinated shooting and stabbing near Damascus Gate in Jerusalem’s Old City. One assailant opened fire on police; a second stabbed Border Police officer Hadas Malka, 23, who later died of her wounds. Four others were injured. All three attackers were shot and killed by security forces.

ISIS rapidly claimed responsibility through Amaq, hailing the perpetrators as “lions of the Caliphate” who struck “in the heart of Jerusalem, near the Temple Mount.” The group described it as a “blessed operation” against a “gathering of Jews” and vowed it “will not be the last.” This was ISIS’s first explicit claim of an attack inside Israel proper. However, Palestinian factions disputed the claim: Hamas and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) asserted the attackers were their members, rejecting any ISIS affiliation. Israeli officials expressed skepticism about direct ISIS direction, viewing it as possible opportunistic claiming of a local “lone wolf” or small-cell operation. The incident highlighted ISIS’s propaganda strategy: claiming credit for ideologically aligned violence even without operational control.

### The 2022 Wave: Beersheba and Hadera Attacks – ISIS-Inspired Domestic Terrorism

In March 2022, Israel experienced two deadly attacks by Arab-Israeli citizens with documented ISIS sympathies, occurring amid heightened regional tensions (including a Negev summit with Arab states and the U.S.).

- **March 22, 2022: Beersheba Stabbing/Ramming**  

  Mohammed Abu al-Qia’an, a Bedouin Israeli from Hura with a prior arrest for ISIS support (including plans to travel to Syria), carried out a vehicle-ramming and stabbing at a shopping center and gas station. He killed four Israelis and wounded others before being shot dead. Israeli authorities confirmed his history of radicalization; ISIS propaganda had previously praised similar “inspired” acts.

- **March 27, 2022: Hadera Shooting**  

  Two cousins from Umm al-Fahm—Ayman Ighbariya and Ibrahim (or Khaled) Ighbariya—opened fire on civilians and police along Herbert Samuel Street, killing two Border Police officers and injuring several others. The pair recorded a video pledging allegiance to ISIS leader Abu al-Hassan al-Hashimi al-Qurashi before the attack. ISIS’s Amaq agency officially claimed it as a “twin immersive commando attack by Islamic State fighters in northern Palestine,” naming the perpetrators. One attacker had previously been imprisoned for attempting to join ISIS in Syria.

These attacks marked the first time since 2017 that ISIS formally claimed operations inside Israel. They fit the group’s “lone wolf” playbook: radicalized individuals acting independently but amplified through official media for maximum propaganda value. Hamas praised the violence without endorsing ISIS links, while Israeli officials described the perpetrators as ISIS affiliates.

Additional ISIS-Inspired or Linked Incidents

ISIS propaganda has inspired smaller-scale violence:

- **January 2016 Tel Aviv Shooting**: An Arab-Israeli man killed two and wounded seven on Dizengoff Street; linked to ISIS inspiration.

- **June 2016 Sarona Market Shooting (Tel Aviv)**: Two Palestinians killed four and injured 21; perpetrators displayed ISIS flags and claimed affiliation in some accounts.

Israeli security services have thwarted dozens of ISIS-related plots, including cells attempting to form in the West Bank or among Arab-Israelis. As of 2022, Israel held approximately 87 ISIS-linked prisoners.

Strategic Context: Why So Few—and So Limited—Attacks?

ISIS’s global ideology demands jihad against Jews and Israel, yet operational realities constrained it. Wilayat Sinai’s primary mission remained destabilizing Egypt. Core ISIS leadership prioritized territorial control and sectarian wars over distant strikes on a well-defended adversary. Israel’s robust intelligence, Iron Dome, and border security further deterred sophisticated operations. The group has conducted or inspired attacks worldwide (Europe, Africa, Asia), but Israel ranked lower on the target list than “apostate” Muslim regimes or Western soft targets.

Israel has responded proactively: airstrikes on ISIS targets in Sinai (with Egyptian coordination), thwarting plots, and occasional cross-border actions. Propaganda from ISIS spokesmen (e.g., 2020 calls to attack Israeli communities) has not translated into sustained campaigns. By 2023–2026, Wilayat Sinai’s activity had waned due to Egyptian pressure, with no major new claimed attacks on Israel documented in that period.

### Debunking Conspiracy Theories

Claims that “ISIS has never attacked Israel” (or that it is a Mossad/CIA creation) circulate widely in certain circles, often to allege secret alliances. These are contradicted by the documented Sinai rockets, official ISIS claims, and inspired domestic attacks. While Israel has struck ISIS-linked fighters (e.g., in Syria or via covert Sinai operations), mutual hostility is evident. Such theories ignore ISIS’s anti-Semitic ideology and its explicit threats against Jews. Fact-checks consistently label them disinformation.

### Conclusion

ISIS has attacked Israel—through rockets from Sinai, claimed operations in Jerusalem, and inspired shootings in Hadera and Beersheba—yet these remain outliers in the group’s broader terrorism portfolio. Wilayat Sinai’s occasional cross-border actions and the radicalization of a small number of Israeli citizens reflect opportunistic rather than strategic focus. Israel’s counterterrorism apparatus, combined with ISIS’s own priorities, has kept the threat contained. As ISIS evolves toward decentralized “lone wolf” and affiliate-driven violence globally, vigilance remains essential. The documented history refutes denialism while underscoring the group’s enduring ideological hostility toward Israel.

References

1. Wikipedia: Islamic State – Sinai Province (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islamic_State_%E2%80%93_Sinai_Province).  

2. The Guardian: “Isis affiliate claims responsibility for rocket attack on Egyptian navy ship” (July 16, 2015).  

3. Reuters: “Islamic State-linked group claims rocket attack on Israeli resort” (Feb. 9, 2017).  

4. The Times of Israel / JTA: Multiple reports on 2015–2017 Sinai rockets.  

5. Wikipedia: June 2017 Jerusalem attack (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/June_2017_Jerusalem_attack).  

6. Israel National News / Jerusalem Post: ISIS claim on Jerusalem attack (June 17, 2017).  

7. Long War Journal / Axios / CNN: ISIS claims Hadera shooting (March 27–28, 2022).  

8. Terrorism-Info.org.il: “Two deadly ISIS-inspired terrorist attacks” (March 31, 2022).  

9. INSS (Israel): “Islamic State Province in Sinai Changes its Strategy” (Dec. 3, 2020).  

10. ADL: “ISIS Connected to Recent Terror Attacks in Israel” (April 5, 2022).  

11. EUvsDisinfo: “Disinfo: ISIS never attacks Israel” (fact-check).  

12. Additional sources: Haaretz, Forward, Al Jazeera, and official ISIS statements via SITE Intelligence Group (cross-referenced across results).  

All incidents are corroborated by multiple independent outlets and ISIS’s own media claims. No major additional ISIS-claimed attacks on Israel were identified between 2023 and early 2026.