The father of the terrorist who carried out Thursday’s deadly Yom Kippur attack at a Manchester shul once hailed Hamas’s October 7 massacre as “God’s men on earth” and celebrated Israel’s supposed downfall — before later calling on the group to free elderly and child hostages, according to a series of social media posts uncovered by The Times of London.

Faraj al-Shamie, a trauma surgeon who has worked in conflict zones including South Sudan, is the father of Jihad al-Shamie, the suspect identified in the Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation massacre that left multiple people dead and wounded.

On October 7, 2023 — the day Hamas terrorists stormed across the Gaza border, killing and abducting Israelis — al-Shamie wrote on Facebook that the gunmen “prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that Israel will not remain.” He described Hamas fighters as “God’s men on earth,” and prayed for their victory.

Three days later, al-Shamie appeared to temper his celebration, urging Hamas to show restraint with hostages: “Release the elderly and children. What you have done so far is a miracle by all standards. Do not harm them in a moment of anger. They have no place in war.” He simultaneously framed the onslaught as the “beginning of the liberation of Al-Aqsa.”

Al-Shamie also cheered Iranian missile barrages on Israel, writing: “We are waiting for more,” and declaring that “your goods are being returned to you.”

But on Friday, al-Shamie condemned his own son’s actions at the Manchester shul as a “heinous act.” In a new Facebook post, he said his family “fully distance[s] ourselves from this attack and express our deep shock and sorrow over what has happened. Our hearts and thoughts are with the victims and their families, and we pray for their strength and comfort.”

The revelations about al-Shamie’s social media history further complicate an already explosive case that has shaken both Britain and Israel. His son, Jihad al-Shamie, stormed the Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation during Yom Kippur davening, killing two and seriously wounding several more before being shot dead by police.

The elder al-Shamie’s online posts suggest a worldview steeped in Islamist triumphalism, support for Hamas, and hostility toward Israel — though tempered by occasional appeals for limited humanitarian restraint.

The disclosure is likely to fuel questions about radicalization within diaspora communities and the role of social media in amplifying extremist sympathies.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)