An explosion outside a synagogue in southern France is being investigated by authorities as an “attempted terrorist murder”.
Police said the explosion was caused by two cars being set on fire outside the Beth Yaacov synagogue in the resort town of La Grande-Motte. One of the cars contained a hidden gas cylinder.
Police sources told French media that a man caught on surveillance camera setting fire to a car was carrying a Palestinian flag and possibly a pistol.
Jewish community leader Yonathan Arfi said the incident was “an attempt to kill Jews”, adding that the attack appeared to have been planned to target worshippers on Saturday morning.
One police officer was injured in the explosion, which is believed to have occurred between 08:00 and 08:30 local time (07:00-07:30 BST). His injuries are not life-threatening.
Authorities said five people, including the rabbi, were inside the synagogue at the time. President Emmanuel Macron said the incident was “an act of terrorism”.
An anonymous witness told the BBC: “As we turned the last corner, there was a huge explosion, a fireball flying into the air.
“It was surreal, like a movie. We didn’t go any further.”
French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal and Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin are expected to arrive at the scene later on Saturday.
Both condemned the attack, with Mr Attal calling it an “anti-Semitic act”, while Mr Darmanin said security around Jewish sites would be stepped up.
“I want to assure the Jewish people and the city government that I will give my full support,” the interior minister added.
Both leaders said security forces were searching for the suspect.
The Jewish community in France currently lives in a state of high security, with many synagogues and Jewish schools protected by police.
A January 2024 report by the Council of Jewish Institutions in France (CRIF) said anti-Semitic acts in France nearly tripled between 2022 and 2023.
In May, police shot dead a man after a synagogue in the northwestern city of Rouen was vandalized. burn.
In 2015, two days after the attack on Charlie Hebdo magazine, four people were killed in a hostage attack at a kosher supermarket.
The explosion comes amid growing concern among Europe’s Jewish community after a new survey by the EU’s Fundamental Rights Agency (FRA) published last month found that Jews in the bloc continue to face high levels of anti-Semitism..
More than 8,000 Jews in 13 EU countries, including Germany and France, were interviewed. 96% said they had encountered anti-Semitism in their daily lives.
There has been widespread condemnation of the arson attack across France’s political spectrum. Left-wing politician Jean-Luc Mélenchon called it an “unforgivable crime”, while Jordan Bardella of the far-right National Rally party said it was “a criminal and anti-Semitic act”.
