Two brothers held in France over alleged ‘lethal and antisemitic’ terror plot

French anti-terror prosecutors have launched an investigation into two brothers suspected of planning what officials described as a “lethal and antisemitic” attack in France.

The suspects, aged 20 and 22 and described as Moroccan-Italian nationals, were detained last week after police stopped their car in northern France.

According to prosecutors, officers discovered a loaded semi-automatic firearm, a bottle of hydrochloric acid, and a flag of the Islamic State (ISIS) group inside the vehicle.

France’s national anti-terror prosecutor’s office said investigators believe the brothers had begun preparing a violent attack and were motivated by jihadist ideology.

In a statement, prosecutors said that after determining they could not wage jihad abroad, the pair had recently developed a “terrorist plan in France, for which they aspired to martyrdom.”

Officials added that the suspects had taken steps towards carrying out “a lethal and antisemitic” attack, although no specific target had been publicly identified.

The brothers reportedly arrived in France with their parents in 2017 after the family had spent several years living in Italy.

Investigators examining seized phones and computers, along with testimony from relatives, said there had been “a radicalisation of the two brothers over the past two years, as well as a marked intensification of their jihadist commitment in the days preceding their arrest.”

The arrests come amid heightened security concerns for Jewish communities internationally as tensions in the Middle East continue to escalate.

Several incidents targeting Jewish sites have been reported in recent days. In the Netherlands, an explosion struck a Jewish school in Amsterdam shortly after a suspected arson attack on a synagogue in Rotterdam.

In Belgium, a synagogue in Liège was damaged by an explosion, while in the United States, a man drove a pickup truck carrying fireworks and petrol into a synagogue in Michigan before killing himself, according to police.

Authorities across Europe have warned that the ongoing conflict could increase the risk of attacks against Jewish institutions, prompting additional security measures at synagogues, schools and community centres.

French prosecutors said the investigation into the alleged plot remains ongoing.