Explosion Damages Amsterdam Jewish School — No Injuries; CCTV Shows Suspect, Police Bolster Security

A Jewish school in Amsterdam suffered limited damage after an overnight explosion struck its exterior wall, Mayor Femke Halsema said Saturday, calling the blast a "cowardly act of aggression." Authorities opened an investigation after police reviewed CCTV footage that reportedly shows a person placing an explosive device against the building.

No injuries were reported, the mayor said. She emphasized the need for schools to be safe spaces: "A school must be a place where children can attend classes in complete safety. Amsterdam must be a place where Jews can live in safety," Halsema said.

Prime Minister Rob Jetten described the incident on X as "terrible," adding that "Antisemitism has no place in the Netherlands." He said he would meet quickly with leaders of the Jewish community and pledged support for their safety.

Security Response

Dutch authorities said police have stepped up security following the explosion and activated a strategic action plan allowing for national police deployment to protect Jewish institutions. Janny Knol, chief of police in the Netherlands, said the police are on heightened alert nationwide and have "scaled up considerably" to protect communities and colleagues impacted by recent violent incidents.

Related Incidents and Wider Context

Officials linked the Amsterdam attack to a recent string of incidents targeting Jewish institutions in Europe and beyond. In recent days, synagogues in Rotterdam and Liège, Belgium, were also targeted in nighttime attacks that caused damage but no reported injuries. Dutch authorities said four men were arrested in connection with the Rotterdam incident.

Separately, a car-ramming that sparked a fire at a synagogue complex in the Detroit area left the suspect, identified by the FBI as 41-year-old Ayman Mohamad Ghazali, dead from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound, U.S. officials said. U.S. media reported that some of the suspect's relatives had been killed in recent strikes in Lebanon, according to sources cited by CBS News.

Amid a rise in threats and violent episodes targeting Jewish sites, demand has increased for private and public security at schools, college campuses and other community buildings in multiple countries.

What Officials Say: "This has a huge impact, not only on the immediate environment but on the entire Jewish community," said Chief Janny Knol. "As police, we are on standby throughout the country and we have scaled up considerably."

Investigations remain ongoing in Amsterdam and other jurisdictions. Authorities urged anyone with information or relevant footage to come forward as they work to identify suspects and ensure the safety of affected communities.