Incorporating authorities from France, they've apprehended individuals suspected of terrorist activities.
An explosion originating from a gas cylinder outside a French synagogue caused quite a stir. Law enforcement officers discovered additional gas containers in the courtyard of the building. The anti-terror squad soon took charge of the investigation. Later in the evening, authorities apprehended a suspect in Nîmes, a city located in southern France.
Minister of the Interior Gérald Darmanin announced the apprehension via a tweet. A reliable source revealed that a man was arrested by the French anti-terror unit in Nîmes.
As per official reports, two vehicles were set ablaze in the courtyard of the Beth Yaacov Synagogue in La Grande-Motte on a Saturday morning. Apart from the synagogue doors and a car parked outside, the explosion also damaged a nearby vehicle. French President Emmanuel Macron labeled it as a "terrorist act." According to the investigation, a person bearing a Palestinian flag was spotted close to the synagogue shortly after the blast, which occurred during Shabbat, the Jewish Sabbath.
The French anti-terror prosecutor's office confirmed that a gas cylinder in one of the scorched vehicles exploded, causing minor injuries to a police officer. The prefecture affirmed the discovery of four more gas cylinders in the courtyard, one of which detonated as well.
Shabbat, often a bustling occasion
During Shabbat, a Jewish holiday that commences on Friday evening and concludes on Saturday evening, synagogues are typically filled with devotees, particularly on Saturday mornings. However, at the time of the incident, there were merely five individuals in the building, including the rabbi, all of whom remained unhurt.
Anti-Semitic incidents in France have significantly surged since the initiation of clashes between Israel and the radical Islamic group Hamas in the Gaza Strip on October 7. Based on investigation records, 887 such incidents were documented during the first half of the year, as opposed to the 304 reports recorded during the same period in 2023.
The French government strongly condemned the War with Israel-related incident, considering it a potential threat to France's Jewish community. Due to the escalating tensions, the French authorities have increased security measures around synagogues and Jewish institutions.
