World

Explosion damages Jewish school in the Netherlands

Mar 14, 2026

A synagogue targeted by an arson attack in Rotterdam, the Netherlands — Jewish institutions were already on alert after ‌an arson attack at a synagogue in Rotterdam. -EPA

An ‌explosion has damaged a Jewish school in Amsterdam in what the city's mayor describes as "a ‌deliberate attack against the Jewish community".

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The explosion early ‌on Saturday at the school in an upscale residential neighbourhood on the south side of Amsterdam only caused ‌limited damage, Mayor ‌Femke ⁠Halsema said in a statement, as police and firefighters arrived at the scene quickly.

No injuries were reported.

Security at synagogues and Jewish institutions in the Dutch capital had already been ⁠heightened after ‌an overnight arson attack at a synagogue in the centre of Rotterdam ‌on Friday.

In neighbouring Belgium, an explosion caused a fire at a synagogue in Liege on Monday.

"This is a cowardly act of aggression against the Jewish community," Halsema said.

"Jewish people ‌in Amsterdam are increasingly confronted with antisemitism. This is unacceptable."

Concerns about possible attacks against Jewish communities around the world have risen following US and Israeli attacks on Iran and a subsequent response from ⁠Tehran.