Late Friday night, the Islamic State for the first time claimed responsibility for an act of terrorism in Israel, proclaiming that its members had carried out the stabbing and shooting attacks near the Old City of Jerusalem in which 23-year-old Border Police officer Hadas Malka was killed.

Israeli and Palestinian officials doubt the veracity of the claim. Israeli officials believe no organized terror group was behind the attacks. But the IS claim, nonetheless, points to a new strategy — a declaration of intent — from the group that has carried out attacks across Europe in recent months.

In an official statement circulated by media outlets as well as by Islamic State’s own Amaq News Agency, it boasted that three “lions of the caliphate carried out a blessed attack on a gathering of Jews in al-Quds,” referring to Jerusalem by its Arabic name.

The three Palestinians were given IS-style nicknames: Abu Bra’a al-Maqdisi, Abu Hassan al-Maqdisi and Abu Rabah al-Maqdisi. And the statement warned that this would “not be the last operation” against Israeli targets.

Islamic State usually issues claims of responsibility for attacks in which it was directly involved, to which its leadership was connected, or which were carried out on its behalf. It is far from clear that any of these links apply to Friday’s attack. The giving of nicknames to the attackers also suggests a rather desperate effort to highlight a purported IS role.

Read the full article in the Times of Israel.