SYNAGOGUE TERROR: KILLER'S FAMILY: OUR SHAME

But father had praised Hamas' Oct 7 attacks

- BY HOLLIE BONE, DAN WARBURTON and PHIL CARDY

SYNAGOGUE knifeman Jihad al-Shamie's father last night said the family denounced his son's crimes, though he previously praised a violent attack on Jews.

War zone surgeon Faraj al-Shamie, 64, spoke of his shock and sorrow after his killer son tried to storm the synagogue armed with a blade, having first rammed his car into a crowd.

However, Faraj backed violence against Jews in a previous online post. After the Hamas-led massacre in Israel on October 7, 2023 that left 1,200 people dead and sparked the current war in Gaza, he said: "Men like these prove that they are the men of God on Earth."

Following his son's atrocity, Faraj, thought to be living in France, posted yesterday: "The news from Manchester regarding the terrorist attack targeting a Jewish synagogue has been a profound shock to us.

"The al-Shamie family in the UK and abroad strongly condemns this heinous act, which targeted peaceful, innocent civilians.

"We fully distance 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."