A Molotov cocktail attack left eight people injured during a demonstration in support of Israeli hostages held by Hamas, held this Sunday (1st) in Boulder, Colorado, in the United States.
The information was released by The New York Times, which found that the attacker was identified as Mohamed Sabry Soliman, an Egyptian citizen who was in the country illegally.
According to the FBI, the suspect had been planning the attack for a year and acted alone. He allegedly shouted “Free Palestine” before throwing two incendiary devices at protesters participating in the event known as Run for Their Lives, held weekly in several cities around the world. The march aims to draw attention to the Israeli civilians kidnapped during the October 7, 2023, attacks in Israel.
Eight people between the ages of 52 and 88 — four men and four women — suffered burns and other injuries. According to local authorities, two victims in serious condition had to be transferred by helicopter to a specialized burn center in Denver. No deaths have been reported so far.
Mohamed Soliman, 45, was arrested shortly after the attack, after being identified by witnesses. A video verified by the Storyful agency shows the suspect, shirtless and holding two bottles, screaming as patches of grass burned in front of the city courthouse. Amid the panic, bystanders tried to help the injured and put out the flames with improvised clothing.
During questioning, Soliman told investigators that he wanted to “kill all the Zionists” and that he “wished they were all dead,” according to an excerpt from the testimony included in the FBI report. He also stated that his motivation was to prevent the group from “taking our land,” referring to Palestine.
Authorities found a gallon of gasoline, at least 14 ready-to-use Molotov cocktails — made from wine bottles and mason jars — and a poison sprayer adapted to spread fuel with him.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security confirmed that Soliman had entered the country legally in August 2022 on a tourist visa, but overstayed his permitted period, which expired in February 2023. He even applied for political asylum in September of that same year. He currently lives in Colorado Springs with his wife and five children.
Although the initial charges included two counts of first-degree murder, local authorities have not yet clarified the reasons for these charges, since no deaths have been recorded. Soliman remains detained in the Boulder County Jail, with bail set at $10 million.
The institutional response came in a harsh tone. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared that the attack was carried out “in cold blood” and demanded that the attacker be tried “to the fullest extent of the law.” He said the incident “was an anti-Semitic attack against peaceful people who were showing solidarity with the Hamas hostages, simply because they were Jews.”
Boulder Mayor Aaron Brockett also condemned the attack: “These members of the Jewish community were marching for peace and the release of the hostages, and they were brutally attacked. It is repulsive and disgusting.”
There is no evidence so far that Soliman was linked to extremist groups or political organizations, as indicated by Mark D. Michalek, special agent in charge of the FBI office in Denver.
Source: www.brasil247.com