Questioned for more than 48 hours by police officers from the Anti-Terrorist Sub-Directorate (Sdat) in Levallois-Perret (92), El Hussein Khenfri admitted to being behind the anti-Semitic attack perpetrated against the Beth Yaacov synagogue in La Grande-Motte on the morning of Saturday August 24.
Following the fire at the Beth Yaacov synagogue in La Grande-Motte on August 24, 2024, the national anti-terrorism prosecutor’s office opened a judicial investigation today based on six charges.
In this case, a terrorist criminal association with a view to preparing one or more crimes against persons referred to in 1° of Article 421-1 of the Criminal Code. Attempted murder, committed on the grounds of race or religion, in connection with a terrorist enterprise. Damage by fire or dangerous means to persons, resulting in total incapacity for work of less than 8 days, committed on the grounds of race or religion, in connection with a terrorist enterprise. Possession and transportation of incendiary products with a view to preparing damage dangerous to persons, in connection with a terrorist enterprise. Violence against national police officers without total incapacity for work, aggravated by the use of a weapon, in connection with a terrorist enterprise. Concealment of a terrorist criminal.
Four in police custody
During the investigations, conducted as part of the flagrante delicto investigation, four people were arrested. The police custody of one of them, who was cleared of any wrongdoing, was lifted on August 26, 2024.
Three people were brought before the investigating magistrate this Wednesday afternoon: El Hussein Khenfri, accused of the attack on the synagogue, as well as two people from his entourage, two men, aged 28 and 30 respectively.
A hatred of Jews
El Hussein Khenfri is a 33-year-old man, born in Blida, Algeria, of Algerian nationality, legally resident in the national territory because he is the beneficiary of a receipt for a residence permit application, unemployed, without income and occupying without title a dwelling in the Pissevin district of Nîmes (30). He was sentenced to a resumption in October 2022 for drunk driving. He is unknown to the specialized services.
From various hearings and his publications on social networks, it appears that the Nîmes native has become radicalized in the practice of his religion for several months and has also long harbored a hatred of Jews, more specifically localized on the situation in Palestine. He has finally informed some of his close relations of his intention to go and fight in Gaza.
Weapons Purchase and Scouting
Initial investigations show that in the weeks preceding the events, he had acquired a handgun and conducted various internet searches on synagogues in the region, Jewish holidays and the Shabbat period. He had finally carried out more targeted reconnaissance on the synagogue in La Grande-Motte.
It was in these circumstances that, on the night of 23 to 24 August 2024, he went alone to the vicinity of the Beth Yaacov synagogue in La Grande-Motte, with his car, in which he slept part of the night. At 8:21 a.m., armed with several plastic bottles filled with fuel, an axe with written notes in his hand, relating to Palestine, Gaza and the blood of Muslims, and carrying a handgun, he climbed over the perimeter wall of the synagogue.
He lights several fires
He wore a keffiyeh on his head and a Palestinian flag around his waist. He went to different points on the synagogue grounds and lit several fires: at the entrance doors of the main building, the door of the worship hall and the door of the common room.
In the parking lot, he set fire to a first vehicle before heading, axe and handgun in hand, towards an air conditioning unit behind which he hid. After about thirty seconds, he set fire to a straw hut located along a wall of the parking lot and a second vehicle parked nearby.
He says he accidentally started a fire in his car
Inside the compound were gas cylinders, one of which exploded during the intervention of first responders, causing minor injuries to a municipal police officer. Five people, including the rabbi, were at the time of the incident at their homes, located on the first floor of the building.
After the attack, El Hussein Khenfri climbed over the synagogue’s perimeter wall again and left with his vehicle. He unintentionally started a fire there and abandoned it a few dozen meters from the synagogue.
Brought back to Nîmes by an acquaintance
He then joined one of his acquaintances at a market in Grau-du-Roi (30). The latter agreed to drive him back to Nîmes in the afternoon before returning to his home in the Pissevin district, where he met another of his relatives with whom he had previously discussed a possible act.
This same individual informed him a little later of the presence of police officers. When the police arrived at the apartment occupied by the main suspect, the latter grabbed his handgun, which he knew was loaded with blank ammunition and therefore non-lethal, and fired five shots in their direction.
Wounded by return fire
He was wounded in return by a return shot to the arm and chest and had a wound to his face following the arrest action. After receiving medical treatment, the thirty-year-old admitted the facts at his first hearing. He explained that he had acted to support the Palestinian cause, denying any intention to kill but conceding that he had intended to scare. He intended, through his action with strong symbolic significance, to make the Israeli authorities react.
The indictment of El Hussein Khenfri was requested on all counts referred to in the introductory indictment, with the exception of the concealment of a terrorist criminal. His placement in pretrial detention was requested.
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