A teacher was stabbed to death and two others were wounded at a public school in France, officials said, as Jewish communities around the world brace for a global “day of Jihad.”
A French-language teacher was murdered in the knife attack while another teacher and a security guard were injured, several media outlets reported. The violent incident occurred at Gambetta High School in Arras, France, Friday morning. The perpetrator has since been arrested.
The suspect, a 20-year-old man known for his ties to radical Islam, reportedly shouted “Allahu Akbar,” or “God is greatest,” during the attack. His brother was also detained by police.
French president Emmanuel Macron will visit the school later on Friday to show solidarity with the victims.
The school stabbing in northern France came on the same day that Hamas designated as a “day of rage” to support Palestinians in Gaza following Israel’s retaliation against the terrorist group. Last weekend, Israel declared war after Hamas initiated a surprise attack on Israeli soil that killed hundreds of civilians and injured thousands more. More than 1,300 people, including 27 Americans, have died at the hands of Hamas terrorists since Saturday, and at least 150 have been taken hostage.
After a former Hamas leader called for protests in response to the Middle-Eastern conflict, police remain on high alert in case any violence occurs.
The New York Police Department, for example, ordered all officers to put on their uniforms Friday. “All uniformed members of the service are to perform duty in the uniform of the day — effective immediately and until further notice, all uniformed members of the service, in every rank, will perform duty in the uniform of the day and be prepared for deployment,” the department said.
Security is also being increased in Washington, D.C., with police closely monitoring the situation “around the city and at places of worship” such as Jewish synagogues.
Across the Atlantic, France banned all pro-Palestinian demonstrations to discourage any potential violence and “public order disturbances,” French interior minister Gérald Darmanin ordered Thursday.
France, the European country with the largest Jewish population, has reported more than 100 acts of antisemitism since Hamas attacked Israel. Like its American counterparts, the country has also called for enhanced police presence around Jewish schools and synagogues.