Anti-Semitic incidents in Britain reached a record high for the first six months of the year as the Israel-Hamas war continues, figures have shown.

The Community Security Trust said the 1,978 incidents recorded between January and June were a doubling of the number for the same period last year – 964 – and the highest total reported in the first six months of any year.

The number of anti-Semitic incidents recorded in its report is 44 per cent higher than the previous half-year record of 1,371 in 2021. Yvette Cooper, the Home Secretary, called the figures “truly appalling”.

The Community Security Trust, a charity that monitors anti-Semitism and provides security for the Jewish community in Britain, said rhetoric or imagery referencing Israel, Gaza, the Hamas attack or the war appeared in more than half – 1,026 – of the incidents recorded.

Mark Gardner, its chief executive, said the figures represented “a disgraceful surge in British anti-Semitism”, adding: “It happens across society, including in schools, campuses, places of work, public transport and on the streets.

“We note that whilst such hatreds may target Jews first, they quickly turn upon others also. CST will continue its steadfast protection of our British Jewish communities, driven by our values of community, security and trust.”

The report, published on Thursday, included case studies of reported incidents. It said that in February, a girl at a non-Jewish school in Kent had received abuse from boys in her class who said “Heil Hitler” to her and called her a “dirty Jew”, later adding her to a WhatsApp group entitled Holocaust.

In another case, Jewish community organisations in Greater Manchester and Leeds received identical hate mail in January, blaming Jewish people for the war in the Middle East and comparing Israel to the Nazis.

Jewish people believe they may have become “proxy targets for hostility towards Israel”, the report added.

Ms Cooper said: “The soaring levels of anti-Semitic hate outlined in this report are truly appalling, and we must never relent in our work to root out this hatred in all its forms.”

“There is no place in Britain for this vile hatred and we are absolutely clear that those who push this poison, on the streets or online, must always face the full force of the law.

“I want to thank the CST for their tireless daily work to keep our Jewish communities safe. This Government is committed to multi-year funding for the CST, and to working with the Jewish community and the police to ensure that everybody feels safe on our streets.”

There was an instant increase in anti-Semitic incident levels in the UK following the Hamas terror attacks on Israel on Oct 7 last year, before Israel had co-ordinated any large-scale military response in Gaza, the report said.

CST said that while anti-Semitic incidents had settled down since the initial surge, they remained higher than before Oct 7.