Firebomb thrown at Israeli embassy in Romania, no injuries or damage
Police say incident not linked to Gaza war, attack motivated by ‘personal grievances’ over visa rejection; suspect also tries to light himself on fire outside
A foreign citizen was detained in Romania’s capital on Monday after allegedly attacking the entrance of the Israeli Embassy with a Molotov cocktail, causing a small fire but no casualties, local media and police reported.
The 34-year-old man was apprehended by antiterrorism officers from the Romanian Intelligence Service before police arrived on the scene, Bucharest police said, adding that the suspect also tried to set himself on fire.
Israel’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement that the suspect had pulled out the Molotov cocktail while going through a security inspection, and proceeded to throw it at a door leading into the lobby.
Local media reported that the suspect was a Syrian national, and a police spokesperson told local news channel Digi24 that the incident was motivated by “personal grievances” and not by the international context of Israel’s ongoing war against the Hamas terror group in the Gaza Strip.
The man had failed to “obtain a certain visa,” the spokesperson said by way of explanation but noted that an investigation into the man’s motives is still underway.
The Israeli embassy confirmed the incident in an official statement, saying that the man threw the Molotov cocktail after he was approached by security.
The embassy thanked the Romanian security and police forces for their “swift and efficient response.”
Security was increased at Israeli embassies around the world following the unprecedented October 7 terror onslaught carried out in southern Israel by Hamas, and amid the subsequent war in Gaza.
Last month, gunfire was heard near Israel’s embassy in Stockholm, and in late January, a bomb squad destroyed an explosive device inside the grounds of the embassy.
Last week, an official from the Mossad intelligence agency said that Iran was behind a string of terror attacks on Israeli embassies by criminal networks in Europe, including the attempted attack on the embassy in Stockholm.
Sweden later confirmed the Mossad report, saying that Iran has been carrying out activities inside the country for several years.
In March, Dutch police also arrested someone suspected of throwing a burning object at Israel’s embassy in The Hague.
Times of Israel staff contributed to this report.
