UK police arrest two after fatal synagogue terror attack

British police arrested two people and killed the main suspect after a fatal terrorist attack on a synagogue in Manchester, leading U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer to warn about the threat of rising antisemitism.

Two people were killed and four others were injured during the attack on the temple, where worshipers were gathering for Yom Kippur, the holiest day in the Jewish calendar. A man drove a vehicle at people outside the synagogue and then attacked them with a knife, before being shot by officers. The attacker wore a vest that police said had “the appearance of an explosive device.”

Starmer cut short his attendance at a European summit in Copenhagen and returned to London to host a meeting of the government’s emergency committee, known as Cobra. Additional officers were deployed to synagogues across the country as a precaution, although London’s Metropolitan Police said there was no evidence to suggest an increased threat in the British capital.

“While this is not a new hate — this is something Jews have always lived with — we must be clear, it is a hatred that is rising once again,” Starmer said in a televised address on Thursday evening. “And Britain must defeat it once again.”

Four victims were being treated for “serious” injuries, Greater Manchester Police Chief Constable Stephen Watson said in a televised statement. While police believe they have identified the attacker, they declined to disclose that information until they are certain and it is safe to do so. No details were released of those arrested.

Authorities were treating the attack as a terrorist incident, Laurence Taylor, the head of counter-terror police, said in a separate statement.

No details were disclosed about the offender’s possible motives. Nevertheless, Britain’s Jewish community has been on alert for the past two years after a rise in incidents of antisemitism following Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel, and the subsequent Israeli response in Gaza.

Addressing Britain’s Jewish community, Starmer vowed to “do everything in my power to guarantee you the security that you deserve, starting with a more visible police presence.”

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar, however, said his country expected “more than words from the Starmer government.” He blamed authorities in Britain for failing to curb a “horrific wave of antisemitism.”

“We expect and demand a change of course, effective action, and enforcement against the rampant antisemitic and anti-Israeli incitement in Britain,” Sa’ar wrote.

King Charles III issued a statement saying he was “deeply shocked and saddened” by the attack, and condemnation of the incident came from across the U.K.’s political spectrum. Kemi Badenoch, leader of the main opposition Conservative Party, called it “vile and disgusting,” while Reform U.K. leader Nigel Farage said he was “horrified.” Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey said he was “horrified and appalled.”

Officers were called to the incident at Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation Synagogue in the Crumpsall area of Manchester just after 9:30 a.m. by a member of the public who said “he had witnessed a car being driven towards members of the public,” according to police.

Watson said police have established that a car was driven directly at members of the public outside the synagogue and that its driver was then seen to attack people with a knife. “He was wearing about his body a vest which had the appearance of an explosive device,” he added. He didn’t confirm if police have since established whether it was one.

A bomb disposal unit was called to the scene, and the sound of controlled explosions could later be heard on footage aired by broadcasters.

Although there were a “large number of worshipers” at the synagogue, the “bravery” of security staff and fast police response prevented the attacker from accessing the building, he said. People were then confined inside the building until it was safe to leave, Watson added.

The Jewish community “have seen rising incidents of antisemitism over recent times and have been living with a higher state of anxiety because of the times that we’re living in,” Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham told BBC Radio.

The Community Security Trust, a charity set up to protect British Jews, reported a surge in antisemitic incidents after the conflict in Gaza flared up, and while numbers are lower this year than last, they remain at a higher level than before the Hamas attack.

Amid a rising death toll in Gaza, pro-Palestinian protesters have held regular demonstrations in London and other major U.K. cities, including in Liverpool this week during the governing Labour Party’s annual conference. The main opposition Conservative Party is due to hold its convention in Manchester this weekend.

Israel’s escalation of military operations in Gaza has resulted in increasing tensions within Starmer’s administration which, while saying Israel has a right to self-defense, has increasingly questioned the proportionality of the Israeli response. The Hamas-run health ministry says more than 60,000 Palestinians have lost their lives during the Israeli campaign.

Last year, the U.K. suspended some export licenses to Israel and in June, Britain sanctioned two Israeli government ministers who they said had incited violence against Palestinian communities. Last month, Starmer said the U.K. would recognize Palestinian statehood, after Israel’s government failed to heed his calls to de-escalate in Gaza.

(Alex Wickham and Isobel Finkel contributed to this report.)