A manhunt is underway in southern France after an explosion outside a synagogue injured a police officer.
Authorities said the incident was being treated as a potential terrorist attack and “all measures” were being taken to find the perpetrators.
The explosion occurred when two cars were set on fire outside the Beth Yaacov synagogue in the resort town of La Grande-Motte, near Montpellier.
As of Saturday evening, police were still searching for the suspect, who was believed to be carrying a Palestinian flag and possibly a pistol.
Police sources told French media that one of the cars contained a hidden gas cylinder.
Officials said the suspect also set fire to several doors of the synagogue.
Jewish community leader Yonathan Arfi said the incident was “an attempt to kill Jews” and appeared to target worshippers on Saturday morning.
A police officer was injured in the explosion, which 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 went up 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 visited the site on Saturday evening. Both had previously condemned the attack, with Mr Attal calling it “an anti-Semitic act”.
“What happened here shocked and outraged all Republicans in our country,” Mr. Attat said during the visit.
“Because the reality is that once again, Jews in France are being targeted, attacked because of their faith.”
Mr Attal said a “real tragedy” had been “narrowly avoided” because “there would have been victims” if the synagogue had been crowded with people praying.
Both Mr Attal and Mr Darmanin said security would be stepped up outside synagogues.
“I want to assure the Jewish people and the city government that I will give my full support,” Mr Darmanin said earlier in the day.
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. About 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 Party said it was “criminal and anti-Semitic”.
