Palestinian Lone Assailants, 2015–2023: Suicide, Legitimacy Communities and Duped Attackers

The article explores the main social, political and technological drivers that shaped the phenomenon of Palestinian lone assailants from 2015 to early 2023. The unprecedented number of attacks during this period provides a wealth of evidence based on Palestinian and Israeli media sources as well as new archival materials that allows for a comprehensive analysis of the phenomenon. The evidenced drivers include the emergence of a young generation with new social and political perspectives; the impact of social media on the assailants’ sources of legitimacy and modes of operation; the notable prominence of personal motivations, and; the covert strategies Palestinian organizations are utilizing to deal with these shifts.