A fire at an Australian synagogue “may be a terrorist incident,” police say as they search for suspects in a Melbourne arson attack.

in Melbourne – Australian police said they are hunting three suspects in connection with the burning of a synagogue in Melbourne, which they described as an act of terrorism. Masked assailants set fire to the Adass Israel Synagogue before dawn on Friday, police said, burning much of the building. Some brothers were inside the one-story building but no injuries were reported.

The fire drew international criticism, including from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Police “have three suspects in this matter, who we are pursuing,” Victorian police commissioner Shane Patton told a news conference.

The weekend investigation has made “substantial progress,” Patton said, declining to provide further details about the operation.

State police and Australian intelligence officials met on Monday and concluded that the fire may have been a “terrorist incident,” a police chief said.

“Based on that, I’m very confident that we’ve now had an attack, a terrorist attack on that synagogue,” Patton said.

Australia’s response to antisemitism is “on the rise”

Anti-terrorism police have joined the investigation. Under Australian law, an act of terrorism is one that causes death, injury or serious damage to property in order to advance a political, religious or ideological cause and is intended to intimidate the public or the government.

The official designation opens up assistance from other government agencies in the investigation, said Australian National University terrorism researcher Michael Zekulin.

“You’re basically getting more resources that you wouldn’t have otherwise,” he told AFP.

There was no information to suggest more attacks were possible and Australia’s terror threat assessment remained at “possible,” said Mike Burgess, director-general of the Australian Security and Intelligence Organisation.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, who condemned the attack on the synagogue as “outrageous,” announced the creation of a police task force dealing with antisemitism.

“Antisemitism is a big threat and discrimination is on the rise,” Albanese said at a press conference, citing the synagogue fire and recent vandalism.

The team will be made up of federal police officers who will be deployed across the country as needed, officials said. They will focus on threats, violence and hatred against the Jewish community and Parliament.

The war in Gaza has sparked protests from supporters of Israel and Palestinians in cities around Australia, as in many parts of the world.

In January, Australian lawmakers introduced the a series of new laws in an effort to combat a spike in anti-Semitic acts, including banning the performance of the Nazi salute in public and the display or sale of Nazi hate symbols such as the swastika. The new laws also criminalize the act of glorifying or glorifying acts of terrorism.

Australian attorney-general Mark Dreyfus said at the time the laws sent “a clear message: there is no place in Australia for actions and symbols that glorify the horrors of the Holocaust and acts of terrorism.”

Israeli, Australian leaders “respectfully disagree” on definition of antisemitism

Netanyahu attacked the Australian government’s stance during the firestorm.

“This heinous act cannot be separated from the anti-Israel sentiments coming from the Australian Labor government,” he said after the attack, declaring that “anti-Israel sentiments are anti-Israel.”

Australia voted last week in favor of a United Nations resolution calling for an end to Israel’s “illegal presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territory.”

New Zealand, Britain and Canada were among the 157 countries that voted for the resolution, with eight against it, including the US.

Australian Attorney General Mark Dreyfus dismissed Netanyahu’s accusations.

“You are wrong. I respectfully disagree with Mr. Netanyahu,” Dreyfus told national broadcaster ABC on Monday. “Australia remains a great friend of Israel, as we have been since the Labor government recognized the State of Israel when it was established by the United Nations. Now that is the position.”