During that parliamentary debate on Nov 6, Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong highlighted an uptick in anti-Singapore rhetoric and violent threats, an observation Mr Shanmugam echoed at Monday’s event.
“There have also been calls online for Singapore to be targeted using rockets, bombs,” said Mr Shanmugam.
“Global terrorist groups like Al Qaeda and ISIS, and their supporters, have also used the current conflict to renew their calls for attacks. The threat is there, and it has gotten higher.”
Militant group Hamas launched raids into Israel on Oct 7, killing about 1,400 people and capturing more than 200 hostages.
Israel’s retaliatory air, artillery and naval strikes alongside a ground offensive have killed about 15,000 people, the Hamas government in Gaza has said.
A four-day truce in the Israel-Hamas war began on Friday (Nov 24), with hostages also released in exchange for Palestinian prisoners.