Britain launches probe into deadly Yom Kippur synagogue attack

UK orders public inquiry into deadly Yom Kippur synagogue attack amid questions over MI5 intelligence.

By World Israel News Staff

The British government announced Monday that it will establish a public inquiry into the October 2025 terrorist attack on a Manchester synagogue that left two Jewish worshippers dead, allowing investigators to examine classified intelligence that could not be fully considered in ordinary coronial proceedings.

Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood announced the decision in the House of Commons, nearly a year after the attack on the Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation Synagogue in Crumpsall, Manchester, during Yom Kippur, the holiest day of the Jewish calendar.

“What happened that day must be fully understood,” Mahmood told lawmakers, adding that the inquiry would be established at the request of the coroner investigating the deaths.

The victims, Melvin Cravitz, 66, and Adrian Daulby, 53, were killed during the October 2, 2025 attack, carried out by Jihad Al-Shamie, a 35-year-old British citizen born in Syria. Three other people were seriously injured.

Al-Shamie drove a vehicle into people outside the synagogue before attacking worshippers with a knife. He also wore what appeared to be an explosive vest, subsequently determined to be a fake.

Cravitz died from multiple stab wounds, while Daulby was accidentally killed by police gunfire as he helped prevent the terrorist from entering the synagogue. Armed officers shot Al-Shamie dead at the scene.

The decision to establish a public inquiry follows concerns over intelligence held by Britain’s domestic security service, MI5, and whether authorities could have done more to prevent the attack.

At an earlier inquest hearing, government lawyers sought to prevent certain MI5 documents from being disclosed publicly, arguing that their release could compromise national security.

In September, Chief Coroner Judge Alexia Durran recommended converting the planned inquests into a public inquiry, which would provide a mechanism for examining sensitive evidence that might otherwise remain unavailable to investigators.

The inquiry is expected to examine the circumstances of both deaths, including the emergency response and what security agencies knew about Al-Shamie before the attack.