Police arrest 'seriously injured' 33-year-old suspect accused of arson attack on synagogue in France, which Emmanuel Macron condemned as 'act of terrorism'

A suspected terrorist accused of attacking a synagogue in France was arrested this evening after a shootout with police.

The 33-year-old, whose name was not disclosed, was “seriously injured” before being taken into custody on Saturday evening on the top floor of a high-rise building in a social housing estate in Nîmes.

About 200 police officers were searching for the suspect, Prime Minister Gabriel Attal said earlier, adding that the attacker had set fire to several entrance doors to the synagogue and several cars parked nearby.

Thirty miles away, in the southern seaside resort of La Grande-Motte, the Algerian national is said to have caused an explosion in a parked car and set fire to the doors of the Beth Yaacov synagogue.

He was reportedly seen in surveillance footage around 8:30 a.m. on Saturday with a Palestinian flag around his waist while carrying out what President Emmanuel Macron called an “act of terrorism.”

A police officer was injured in an explosion caused by the man, but the people in the synagogue remained unharmed.

“This is an anti-Semitic attack. Once again, our Jewish compatriots are the target,” Attal said on X. “In the face of anti-Semitism, in the face of violence, we will never allow ourselves to be intimidated.”

After visiting the synagogue, Attal said an “absolute tragedy” had been narrowly avoided because firefighters and police arrived quickly on the scene.

In surveillance camera footage, the man was seen with a Palestinian flag around his waist at around 8:30 a.m. on Saturday.

French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin stands in front of the city's synagogue.

Two cars were set on fire near a synagogue in France on Saturday. This is being considered an accusation of terrorism (Pictured: The fire near the synagogue)

Firefighters, police and the Gendermerie arrived at the scene of the accident near the Beth Yaacov Synagogue in La Grande-Motte at around 8:40 a.m. local time (photo: smoke rises into the air)

Specialized anti-terror judges linked the attack to the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, in which thousands of people have died.

Around 200 police officers were involved in a manhunt, and at around 11.30 p.m. on Saturday, special forces from the RAID (Research, Assistance, Intervention, Deterrence) unit moved into the Nîmes high-rise building.

French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin announced on X: “The suspected perpetrator of the arson attack on the synagogue has been arrested.”

“Thanks to the police and especially to the RAID unit, who intervened extremely professionally despite the shots.”

A source involved in the operation confirmed that the suspect was “seriously injured” before being taken to a closed hospital. There were no reports of injuries to other people.

Stephan Rossignol, the mayor of La Grande Motte, said video surveillance had captured images showing an unknown man setting fire to cars in front of the synagogue in La Grande Motte.

The potential suspect seen in the footage is said to be “waving a Palestinian flag.”

Police sources also claimed that the man was armed with a pistol.

France’s Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin (pictured) described the incident as a “clear criminal attack”.

Meanwhile, Yonathan Arfi, president of the Council of Representatives of Jewish Institutions of France (CRIF), described the attack as “an attempt to kill Jews.”

He said a gas cylinder was ignited in front of the synagogue in La Grande-Motte “at the expected time of the arrival of the faithful”.

While Israel continues its attacks on Gaza and the West Bank in occupied Palestine, the French government regularly denounces an increase in anti-Semitic acts.

More than 40,000 Palestinians, including thousands of women and children, have been killed and many more injured since Hamas's attack on Israel on October 7, which left about 1,200 Israelis dead.

Since the beginning of the conflict, anti-Semitic acts in France have almost tripled. In the first half of this year, “887 incidents” were registered, according to a spokesman for the Interior Ministry in Paris.

Hussein Bourgi, a Socialist senator in the Hérault department where La Grande-Motte is located, said: “I would like to express my full solidarity with the Jewish community of La Grande Motte.”

In May, an Algerian immigrant residing illegally in France was shot dead by police after throwing a Molotov cocktail through the window of a synagogue.

Yonathan Arfi, president of the Representative Council of Jewish Institutions of France (CRIF), called it “an attempt to kill Jews.”

A gendarmerie officer stands guard after cars were set on fire in front of the city's synagogue.

The 29-year-old was hit four times in front of the building in Rouen, the capital of Normandy, by a police officer who fired his service weapon five times.

Judicial investigations have been launched into “arson with anti-religious motives” and “intentional violence against persons in public office” and are still ongoing.

A Holocaust memorial in Paris was daubed with red hands – apparently a reference to the rising number of civilian deaths in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank in May. Paris Mayor Ann Hidalgo described the incident as “outrageous”.