British police have named the man who carried out the deadly attack outside a synagogue in Manchester, as three other suspects remain in custody.
Two people were killed and three more were seriously injured at Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation Synagogue in the northern city on Thursday in an attack authorities have described as terrorism.
The attack began about 9:30am, local time, when the man drove a car into a crowd outside the synagogue during Yom Kippur, the holiest day in the Jewish calendar.
He then got out of the car and began stabbing worshippers, police said.
The attacker was shot dead by police at the scene minutes later.
Manchester Police said investigations were continuing but named the attacker as Jihad Al-Shamie, a 35-year-old British citizen of Syrian descent.
"Based on what we currently know, our records do not show any previous prevent referrals relating to this individual," the police statement said.
BBC News reported that Al-Shamie entered the UK as a young child and was granted British citizenship in 2006.
Police added that three suspects — two men in their 30s and a woman in her 60s — were in custody and "have been arrested on suspicion of commission, preparation and instigation of acts of terrorism".
"We are working to understand the motivation behind the attack as the investigation continues," police added.
British authorities formally declared the attack as a terrorist incident.
Israel will demand action
After the attacks, Israel's foreign minister, Gideon Sa'ar, said his country would "demand" action against antisemitism in the United Kingdom.
"Blatant and rampant antisemitic and anti-Israeli incitement, as well as calls of support for terror, have recently become a widespread phenomenon in the streets of London, in cities across Britain, and on its campuses," Mr Sa'ar said in a post on social media.
"The authorities in Britain have failed to take the necessary action to curb this toxic wave of anti-Semitism and have effectively allowed it to persist."
Relations between Israel and the UK have been strained in recent times, particularly after Number 10's decision to recognise the State of Palestine at the United Nations General Assembly last month, something Australia also did.
British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer returned to London early from a summit in Denmark to chair an emergency meeting on Thursday afternoon.
He later made a statement in which he acknowledged antisemitic "hatred" had been rising around the country "once again".
Sir Keir said he would do his best to "guarantee" British Jews "the security you deserve".
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described the attack as "barbaric" in a statement, and said his country "grieves with the Jewish community in the UK".
"As I warned at the UN: weakness in the face of terrorism only brings more terrorism," his statement read.
"Only strength and unity can defeat it."
Rising antisemitism in the UK
Authorities have traced rising antisemitism back to October 7, 2023, when Hamas militants, with help from other groups, launched a surprise terrorist attack on Israel from neighbouring Gaza.
The group, which the Australian government has designated as a terrorist organisation, killed approximately 1,200 people and took 251 hostages that day, of whom 48 remain in the Palestinian territory.
In the almost two years since, Israel has launched a wide-ranging bombardment of Gaza, killing more than 66,000 people, according to the strip's health authority.
In the 12 months to March 2024, the UK government recorded a 25 per cent increase in religious hate crimes compared with the previous year.
It said this spike was driven by "a rise in hate crimes against Jewish people and to a lesser extent Muslims", since the beginning of the Israel-Hamas conflict.
The latest data is due to be released next week.
Police increased their presence at synagogues around the UK after Thursday's attack.
Greater Manchester Police Chief Constable Sir Stephen Watson said both victims were members of Manchester's Jewish community.
He said the offender was shot by armed officers within seven minutes of the attack beginning, thanking members for calling authorities.
Police said the offender was wearing something with "the appearance of an explosive device", although they later confirmed "it wasn't viable".
Rob Kanter, 45, was among those in the synagogue when the attack began, and told the ABC it was "just surreal".
"Of course, you instinctively panic, but your first thought is safety, and thankfully, the police got here and got us out to safety," he said.
"Everyone has mixed emotions. Most people are very stoic, but it will probably sink in the days and weeks ahead."
