Father of synagogue terrorist said Hamas attacks were acts of ‘men of God’

The father of Manchester terrorist Jihad Al-Shamie said Hamas’s attacks on Israel on October 7 were carried out by “men of God on Earth” in posts on social media.

Faraj Al-Shamie also praised Iranian missile attacks on Israeli cities and said there “should be the last battle” with Israel in posts on a Facebook page under his name.

The posts were found on the same page as a statement, issued on behalf of the family of attacker Jihad Al-Shamie, condemning his attack at the Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation Synagogue in Crumpsall, Manchester, on Thursday.

They wrote: “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.”

On October 7 2023, Faraj Al-Shamie posted on Facebook in Arabic following the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel which killed some 1,200 people while 251 others were abducted.

Referencing a militant group that claimed to have taken part in the attacks, he said: “The scenes broadcasted by the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade of a group of fighters storming the camp of the occupation army with simple means, balloons and motorcycles, prove beyond doubt that Israel is not left, men like these prove that they are the men of God on Earth.”

Mr Al-Shamie is described as a trauma surgeon and his posts include photos of him treating children in war zones such as South Sudan dating back to 2016.

On January 15 2024, Mr Al-Shamie posted: “We would like to inform you that Israel is on the right path to become a failed state in the Middle East, and is abandoned by most countries.”

And he added, referring to the mosque on Temple Mount in Jerusalem: “Soon your faces will be blackened by the light of Al-Aqsa,” followed by “#IsraelTerroristState”.

On April 4 2024 he called for “Peace, mercy and blessings of God be upon” those interested in leading Hamas and added: “Victory for Palestine and its resilient people, and victory is only patience for an hour.”

On May 1 2025, he went on to criticise Israel’s interventions in his home country of Syria and stated: “Israel will not be calm and will not be at ease as long as Syria is not divided into sectarian and ethnic regions, this Israel is concerned about the weakness of our country because it knows that its power is a danger to it.”

Then on June 18 and 20, he posted videos of destruction in Israel caused by Iranian attacks and wrote: “The precision of these rockets is striking and also the amount of destruction it ensued… We are waiting for more.”

On July 23, he posted: “There is a conviction that arises day after day that the confrontation with Israel is inevitable, and it should be the last battle.”