The suspected terrorist who set fire to at least two vehicles near the Beth Yaacov synagogue in La Grande-Motte, southern France, was captured on camera draped in a Palestinian flag, wearing a keffiyeh, and armed with a pistol.
The suspect was also seen holding two bottles that may have contained flammable liquid, according to a photo published by the French newspaper Le Parisien. The incident is being investigated as a terrorist attack, and French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal, who has Jewish roots, is expected to visit the site later.
One of the vehicles set ablaze by the suspect contained a gas canister, causing an explosion that destroyed two cars and set fire to the synagogue’s doors. A police officer was injured and taken to the hospital, but his life is not in danger. Reports indicate that the attacker ignited the vehicles around 9:00 a.m. before fleeing the scene on foot.
French President Emmanuel Macron expressed solidarity, stating, "Our thoughts are with the worshippers and all the Jews of our nation. We are doing everything to find those responsible for this terrorist attack and to protect places of worship. The fight against anti-Semitism is a collective duty of the entire nation."
Prime Minister Attal, who is expected to arrive at the scene with the interior minister, condemned the incident as an "anti-Semitic act," adding, "Security forces are currently hunting the suspect. We will not yield to anti-Semitism or violence, nor will we allow them to intimidate us."
Shortly after the incident, large security forces arrived at the scene and launched a manhunt for the perpetrator, who remains at large. The mayor of La Grande-Motte, located near Montpellier, stated, "We do not know if the suspect has left the city or is still nearby," adding that he believes this was a terrorist attack targeting the significant Jewish community in the area.
Yonathan Arfi, president of CRIF, the umbrella organization for France's Jewish community, described the event as an "attempted murder of Jews on Shabbat." Fortunately, there were no worshippers in the synagogue at the time. Arfi emphasized, "The use of a gas canister in a car at the time worshippers arrive at the synagogue is not just an arson attack; it’s an intent to kill."