The embassies of Israel and Palestine in Spain will not be the only ones with police protection due to the risk of an attack. The Ministry of the Interior has ordered to strengthen security in thirty more diplomatic embassies for fear that the attack by Hamas against Israel and the latter's response to Gaza will spread in the form of a terrorist attack.
The Secretary of State for Security, Rafael Pérez, addressed in writing to all police authorities after the meeting of the terrorist threat assessment table, in which it was agreed to maintain alert level 4 - about five possible ones–. In a document, to which La Vanguardia has had access, it orders the strengthening of the current police measures for prevention, protection and terrorist response in the embassies and legations of Turkey, Lebanon and Jordan.
Also in all the embassies and diplomatic representations of the member states of the European Union. Number two of the Interior asks that these measures have special attention at the embassies of France, Sweden and Denmark. These three European partners are priority targets for jihadist organizations.
The police have particularly noticed that the Islamic State has claimed responsibility for Monday's terrorist attack in Brussels, in which a man of Tunisian origin armed with an assault rifle opened fire and killed two fans from Sweden It is the first time since 2020 that the Islamic State claims an attack in the West. On that occasion, the perpetrator of the attack killed four in the vicinity of a synagogue in Vienna.
In the order of the Interior, it is also required to strengthen the measures in "relevant events and festivities" for religious communities, as well as in days or events designated by terrorist organizations to carry out any kind of violent action . According to police sources, protection is focused on the entrances and exits of events with large capacities, as well as the means of transport to get there. Also monitoring suspicious packages.
The instruction also focuses on the self-protection of agents, another of the objectives of terrorist organizations. The interior asks the national police, civil guards, police officers, police officers, regional police, municipal police and private security personnel to "extreme" the measures against possible terrorist attacks.
Police unions such as Jupol yesterday criticized the "incongruous and cynical" letter of the ministry led by Fernando Grande-Marlaska, since, according to their complaint, "thousands of officers continue to not have a bulletproof vest". In addition, they warn that the number of shields and ballistic helmets available to the officers is "clearly insufficient", as well as the number of submachine guns available to the police.
