Explosion targets Christian pro-Israel center in Netherlands amid wave of attacks

The Nijkerk incident follows a series of nighttime attacks targeting Jewish and pro-Israeli sites across the Netherlands, Belgium, and Britain since late February. A Jewish school in Amsterdam was hit by an explosion in mid-March, while synagogues in Rotterdam and Liege, Belgium, were targeted with explosive devices.

Additional attacks have struck Jewish volunteer ambulance services in London and vehicles in Antwerp. Dutch authorities arrested four suspects in connection with the Rotterdam synagogue bombing on terrorism charges. The attacks have heightened concerns about rising antisemitism amid the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.

The International Centre for Counter-Terrorism, a Hague-based think tank, assessed in a March report that the attacks were "most likely" carried out on orders from the Iranian regime. A little-known Islamist group with possible Iranian connections has claimed responsibility for some incidents.

Dutch authorities have reinforced security around Jewish sites following the wave of attacks. Police cautioned it remains too early to determine the specific motive behind the Nijkerk explosion, though the targeted organization expressed shock at what it called part of a worrying pattern intended to sow fear.

The Christians for Israel facility had previously been vandalized by pro-Palestinian activists, prompting the organization to seek permission for a two-meter-high security fence around the property to protect staff safety.