Law enforcement officers and firefighters stand in front of a burned building near a synagogue after cars caught fire and an explosion in La Grande-Motte, south of France, on August 24, 2024. | Photo credit: AFP
Explosion outside a synagogue in southern Ireland France A police officer was injured in the early hours of Saturday (August 24, 2024) in what officials said was being treated as a possible terrorist attack.
Security has been tightened around Jewish sites following an explosion on Saturday (August 24, 2024) outside the Beth Yaakov synagogue in the seaside resort of La Grande Motte, near the city of Montpellier.
Investigators said a fire also broke out at the synagogue’s entrance but was quickly extinguished, and two doors were damaged.
President Emmanuel Macron called the incident an “act of terrorism” and added that “the fight against anti-Semitism is a daily battle.”
Two cars outside the synagogue caught fire after a gas canister inside one of them exploded, police said. Police said a police officer was injured in the blast, though they gave no other details.
La Grande Motte Mayor Stephane Rossignol said CCTV captured images of a man setting cars on fire.
A source close to the investigation said the possible suspect seen in the footage was waving a Palestinian flag.
Another source said the man was carrying two empty bottles and had a Palestinian flag wrapped around his waist and fled the scene on foot.
The source said he also appeared to be armed in one photo, possibly carrying a 9 mm pistol.
The explosion comes at a time when France and other European countries are on alert due to the war in Gaza.
‘Anti-Semitic acts’
Prime Minister Gabriel Attal said France’s national anti-terrorism prosecutors have been tasked with investigating the incident.
“The synagogue in La Grande Motte was attacked this morning,” Mr Attal said in a post on X. “This is an anti-Semitic act. Once again, our Jewish fellow citizens are being targeted.”
Earlier, Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin called the incident “clearly a criminal act”.
He said that “all means were being used to find the culprit”.
The minister said police presence would be increased outside Jewish sites in France following the blast. Mr. Darmanin and Mr. Attal were scheduled to visit the site of the blast on Saturday (August 24, 2024).
The explosion occurred during the Sabbath, the Jewish day of rest that runs from Friday sunset to Saturday sunset, and when large numbers of people flock to synagogues to pray.
However, police sources said no religious service was going on at the time of the incident. Investigators said a rabbi and four other people were inside the synagogue at the time, but all were safe.
There was no immediate information about the severity of the police officer’s injuries.
The city of La Grande Motte has about 8,500 permanent residents, but the population swells during the summer tourist season.
Mr. Darmanin said this month that the government had counted 887 anti-Semitic acts in France in the first half of 2024, nearly three times more than in the same period in 2023.
France is home to the largest Jewish population after Israel and the United States, and also has the largest Muslim community in the European Union.
The Representative Council of Jewish Institutions in France (CRIF) called the blast an “attempt to kill Jews”.
“Using a gas canister in a car at a time when worshippers are expected to arrive at a gathering place is not just a criminal act,” CRIF president Yonathan Arfi said. AFP“This shows intent to commit murder.”