France reports spike in antisemitic acts since Israel-Gaza flare-up

France has recorded more than 1,040 antisemitic acts since fighting erupted on 7 October between Palestinians and Israelis, Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin said Sunday according to AFP news agency. 

"The number of antisemitic acts has exploded," he told France 2 television, adding that 486 people have been arrested for such offences, including 102 foreigners.

France's Jewish population, estimated at over 500,000, is the largest in Europe and the third-biggest in the world, after Israel and the United States.

Paris police chief Laurent Nunez said Sunday that there had been 257 antisemitic acts in the Paris region alone, and 90 arrests.

There was no typical profile for those arrested, he added. They ranged from "young kids who say very serious things" to people involved in the pro-Palestinian cause who had gone too far.