Security chiefs warn the likelihood of a terrorist attack is now “probable” as anger over the Israel-Hamas conflict, COVID-related infringements of civil liberties, conspiracy theories, racism and economic hardship fuel grievances and threaten to spill into violence.

While there is no intelligence indicating an imminent attack, ASIO chief Mike Burgess and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on Monday announced the nation’s terror threat alert would be raised from “possible” to “probable”, putting the chance of an attack or plotting for one at greater than 50 per cent over the next 12 months.