Canadian youth to face new charges in alleged terror plot targeting Jews

OTTAWA — A Canadian youth facing terrorism-related charges for allegedly targeting Jewish people last week faced additional charges Monday including possession of explosive substances, according to a source close to the case.

The suspect, who cannot be identified due to their age, was already facing two charges for facilitating and directing “terrorist activity” against Jews in the city of Ottawa.

The three new charges state that the young person was in possession of explosive substances at the time of the arrest on Saturday, including acetone, an oxidizer and metal ball bearings, with intent to “endanger life.”

The suspect made a brief videotaped appearance at the Ottawa courthouse on Monday.

At the time of the youth’s arrest, Canadian federal police said they were noticing a “disturbing trend” of violent extremism among some Canadian young people.

Five young people have been arrested for terrorism-related offenses since June, it added.

“I was shocked to learn the details of a planned attack against Ottawa’s Jewish community,” the capital’s Mayor Mark Sutcliffe posted on X, formerly Twitter, on Saturday.

The Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs, an advocacy group representing Jewish organizations across Canada, said on X that it was grateful that authorities were able to “foil the threat & that no one was hurt.”

An increasing number of antisemitic acts have been reported in Canada since October 7, when Hamas-led terrorists slaughtered 1,200 people in southern Israel, most of them civilians, and took about 240 hostages.

In November, two Jewish schools in Montreal came under fire, one of them twice, without injury. Molotov cocktails also hit a synagogue and a Jewish community center in the city.

Antisemitic attacks and harassment have increased sharply since the October 7 attacks.

Times of Israel staff contributed to this report.

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