An explosion damaged a Jewish school in Amsterdam early Saturday (Mar 14). The city’s mayor, Femke Halsema, described the incident as a “deliberate attack against the Jewish community”, according to Dutch news agency ANP. No injuries were reported following the blast, and emergency services responded quickly to the scene.
The incident follows earlier attacks this week outside synagogues in the Belgian city of Liege and the Dutch port city of Rotterdam.
Authorities said the damage to the school—located in an upscale residential neighbourhood on the southern side of Amsterdam—was limited. The case is currently under investigation. According to the mayor, CCTV footage obtained by police reportedly shows a person placing the explosive device at the location.
‘Cowardly act against Jewish’
Halsema strongly condemned the attack, saying the Jewish community in Amsterdam has been “increasingly often confronted with antisemitism and this is unacceptable.”
The mayor added, “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.”
“This is a cowardly act of aggression against the Jewish community,” she said.
In a statement, authorities confirmed that police and fire services arrived quickly at the scene of the explosion in the Buitenveldert district in southern Amsterdam.
“The material damage is limited,” the mayor said.
Meanwhile, Dutch police said on Friday (Mar 13) that four individuals had been arrested on suspicion of carrying out a blast outside a synagogue in Rotterdam. The explosion caused a fire and damage to the building.
Following that incident, police began monitoring other synagogues as a precautionary measure.
“It is not yet clear whether the suspects planned to detonate an explosive or set fire to another synagogue as well,” police said.
Of the four suspects arrested, two are 19 years old, one is 18, and the fourth is 17. Authorities have not specified a possible motive for the attack.
Officials added that they had launched a “large-scale investigation into this serious incident” and urged witnesses to come forward with any relevant information.
