Israel has identified a little-known militant group suspected of orchestrating a recent string of attacks on Jewish sites across Europe, raising concerns among security officials
about a new pattern of intimidation targeting Jewish communities.
According to Israel’s Diaspora Affairs and Combating Antisemitism Ministry, the group calling itself Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamia is believed to be behind several incidents that occurred between March 9 and March 14, 2026. The attacks included an arson incident at a synagogue in Rotterdam in the Netherlands and the detonation of an explosive device outside a synagogue in Liège, Belgium.
Authorities also reported related incidents at a Jewish site in Greece and a Jewish school in Amsterdam. While the attacks caused damage and alarm, no injuries were reported.
In a special report released Sunday, Israeli officials said the incidents appear to follow a coordinated strategy designed to intimidate Jewish communities across Europe and spread psychological fear rather than cause mass casualties.
Investigators say there are possible links between the group and pro-Iranian militant networks. Intelligence analysis of open-source material indicates that footage and documentation of the attacks circulated on Telegram channels associated with Shiite militant groups aligned with Iran, including channels linked to Hezbollah and Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
The name Ashab al-Yamin has previously appeared in connection with an Iraqi militia designated as a terrorist organization by the U.S. State Department, adding further suspicion about the group’s background and affiliations.
Officials also noted the timing of the attacks. The incidents occurred just over a week after reports that a leader associated with the militia had been killed, raising the possibility that the attacks were carried out as retaliation.
According to the ministry’s report, the group’s operational approach appears to rely on loosely connected local recruits or individuals acting alone while receiving remote direction or inspiration from organizers abroad.
That assessment was reinforced following the Rotterdam synagogue attack, where Dutch authorities arrested four suspects aged between 17 and 19 who were allegedly preparing additional assaults.
Israeli officials warned that the emergence of the group may represent a growing tactic used by international terror networks: operating through new front organizations and local proxies in Europe while maintaining ambiguity about direct responsibility.
The spread of incidents across multiple countries in a short time frame suggests the possibility of coordinated international activity.
Israel’s Minister for Diaspora Affairs, Amichai Chikli, said the attacks reflect a broader and troubling trend.
“These events are not isolated,” he said. “Terror networks connected to the Iranian axis are attempting to extend their activities into European cities and target Jewish communities.”
Chikli stressed that Jewish communities must not become targets of intimidation or violence and called on the international community to respond firmly to efforts to export terrorism and antisemitism beyond the Middle East.
The ministry’s director-general, Avi Cohen-Scali, said the appearance of Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamia highlights an evolving threat model.
According to Cohen-Scali, the group appears to combine online propaganda, local operatives and broader militant networks to project influence far beyond its regional base while spreading fear among Jewish communities worldwide.
Israeli officials said the government will continue cooperating with European authorities and Jewish organizations globally to track, expose and disrupt the networks responsible for the attacks.