Since the renewed outbreak of violence between Israel and Hamas two years ago, UK security agencies have been on alert, fearing that the unrest could spill over onto British soil. On Thursday — coinciding with Yom Kippur — those fears became reality when Britain’s Jewish community was targeted in a deadly attack.

 

The assault on the Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation Synagogue in Manchester marked the most severe terrorist incident in the UK since 2020. According to authorities, the attacker, a 35-year-old British citizen of Syrian descent, drove a vehicle into the synagogue before stabbing worshippers. The incident echoed earlier car-ramming and knife attacks witnessed in 2017 and 2019.

 

While police are still investigating the motive behind Jihad Al-Shamie’s actions and his fatal confrontation with armed officers, the attack has heightened concerns that have been brewing within the intelligence community since the Hamas-Israel war reignited on October 7, 2023. Security services have long warned that individuals radicalized or angered by Israel’s military actions in Gaza might turn violent within the UK — a country with strong historical and political connections to the Middle East.

 

“We are acutely aware of the danger that developments in the Middle East could inspire terrorist activity here in Britain,” MI5 Director General Ken McCallum cautioned last year.

 

Officials worry that the constant exposure to disturbing images and videos emerging from Gaza could influence many in the UK, especially young people. This, they say, poses both an immediate threat and a risk of what McCallum has termed “gradual radicalization.”

 

Pro-Palestinian demonstrations have become frequent in cities like London, where Muslims make up about 6.5% of England and Wales’ population as of the 2021 census. Although most protests have remained peaceful, critics have pointed to instances of intimidation and antisemitic slogans.

 

Another large gathering is scheduled at London’s Trafalgar Square this Saturday. The government of Prime Minister Keir Starmer — which recently recognized a Palestinian state to pressure Israel to end its military campaign — has urged organizers to cancel the rally.

 

Reports of antisemitic incidents in the UK reached record levels last year. Cases of Islamophobia have also surged, contributing to a series of anti-migrant riots during the summer of 2024. MI5 data shows that roughly three-quarters of counterterror investigations focus on Islamist extremism, while the remaining quarter involves far-right terrorism.

 

Over the past year, UK counterterrorism units have disrupted several plots targeting Jewish communities. Two men are set to stand trial this month for allegedly planning an Islamic State-inspired gun assault in northwest England. Another investigation continues into an alleged attempt to attack the Israeli embassy in London. In a separate case in 2024, a Moroccan asylum-seeker was sentenced to life imprisonment for the murder of a 70-year-old man in a Gaza-related terror attack.

 

Speaking to first responders in Manchester on Friday, Prime Minister Starmer reaffirmed his commitment to ensuring the safety of Jewish citizens. “It is our duty as a government to do everything possible to protect our Jewish community,” he said.

 

While Starmer has pledged increased police protection around synagogues and other Jewish institutions, critics argue that more needs to be done, especially given that the Manchester synagogue already had security barriers and government-funded surveillance in place.

 

The evolution of terrorism — from large, organized networks to isolated “lone-wolf” attackers — continues to challenge British security forces. Many recent attackers have had no prior contact with authorities and appear to have been radicalized online in a short period of time.

 

Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood told Sky News that the suspect, Al-Shamie, had not been part of the government’s anti-extremism program, Prevent. However, police later revealed that he was under investigation for rape and had been released on bail prior to the attack.

 

“We believe Al-Shamie may have been influenced by extremist Islamist ideology,” said Laurence Taylor, Head of Counter Terrorism Policing. He added that determining the full circumstances “will take time.” As of Friday evening, six additional suspects had been arrested on terrorism-related charges linked to the Manchester attack.

 

Authorities acknowledge that the challenge of identifying potential terrorists has grown more complex, with many offenders having unstable personal lives, mental health issues, or only a superficial understanding of the ideologies they claim to represent.

 

The digital world remains central to both the threat and the counter-effort. Britain’s attempts to bypass encrypted communications in terror cases have sparked tension with tech companies such as Apple.

 

Meanwhile, UK intelligence is monitoring efforts by Al-Qaeda and Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISKP) to exploit the Gaza conflict as propaganda to inspire new recruits in Britain. While these organizations have largely focused their operations on Afghanistan, Iraq, and Syria in recent years, officials warn that could soon change as they increasingly use imagery from the Gaza war to encourage attacks in Western countries.