An explosion outside a Jewish school in Amsterdam early Shabbos morning is under investigation after the blast damaged part of the building but caused no injuries, Dutch authorities said.

Police said the explosion occurred before dawn in the Buitenveldert district in southern Amsterdam, a residential area with a large Jewish population. The school was empty at the time, and no students or staff were present.

Emergency services were alerted by residents who heard the blast and quickly responded to the scene. Officials later confirmed that the explosion caused minor structural damage to the school’s outer wall.

Investigators are reviewing security camera footage that reportedly shows an individual placing an explosive device near the building shortly before the blast, according to local officials. Police have not announced any arrests or identified a suspect.

The incident comes as authorities across the Netherlands have already heightened security at Jewish institutions following a suspected arson attack on a synagogue in Rotterdam the previous day.

Amsterdam Mayor Femke Halsema condemned the explosion, describing it as a “cowardly act of aggression toward the Jewish community.”

“Our city must remain a place where Jewish residents can live and study safely,” Halsema said in a statement.

Dutch Prime Minister Rob Jetten also responded to the incident, saying that antisemitism cannot be tolerated.

“There must be no place for antisemitism in the Netherlands,” Jetten said.

The explosion comes amid broader fears that Jewish and American targets worldwide could face threats following the recent escalation of military tensions in the Middle East after joint U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran.

Israel’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement that antisemitism is “surging in the Netherlands,” citing the incidents in Amsterdam and Rotterdam as well as the attack on Israeli soccer fans in Amsterdam in November 2024.

The ministry called on the Dutch government to take stronger measures to combat antisemitism and ensure the safety of Jewish communities.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)