An ISIS supporter from Tunisia is accused of hatching a murderous plot to slaughter Jews in Manchester, boasting to an undercover agent about “poisoning their children” and “executing” them, according to chilling testimony revealed in a British courtroom this week.
Prosecutors said 37-year-old Walid Saadaoui, who once owned a restaurant, spent months plotting a large-scale attack in the summer of 2024, targeting Jewish schools, synagogues, and eateries across the northern English city. His objective, they said, was simple: to kill “as many Jews as possible.”
Authorities said Saadaoui took a covert operative—identified only as “Farouk”—on a tour of Manchester’s heavily Jewish neighborhoods in March 2024. He allegedly pointed out schools where children played, identifying potential targets. “This is Salford, the area has a lot of Jews,” he reportedly told the agent. “After we finish with the Jews, we move on to the crusaders.” Farouk later told jurors that by “crusaders,” Saadaoui meant Christians.
During the disturbing walk through Salford, Cheetham Hill, and Prestwich, prosecutors said the suspect described murdering Jewish children as a holy act. “If you kill children at this age, they go to heaven … They didn’t reach the age of accountability yet,” he allegedly told the agent, calling such killings a “path to heaven.” He also reportedly discussed “putting poison in the water” at a Jewish school.
As they passed the Lubavitch Boys School, King David School, and several synagogues, Saadaoui is said to have remarked, “Look, they are playing football … They look like English people.”
When counterterrorism officers later searched his car in May 2024, investigators allegedly uncovered two assault rifles, a semi-automatic pistol, and nearly 200 rounds of ammunition. Prosecutors added that Saadaoui was waiting on additional firearms—a sign, they said, that he was on the verge of carrying out a coordinated summer attack.
His associate, Amar Hussein, has been charged with related terrorism offenses. Both men deny the allegations and maintain they were not planning any violent acts.
Saadaoui’s extremist ideology, prosecutors said, was evident throughout his conversations with the undercover agent. “These are the killers of the messengers and prophets … They have big congregations. I just need to know. We will execute,” he reportedly declared.
He also claimed to have tried to infiltrate Jewish social media groups, admitting, “They refused to accept me.” While walking past a supermarket, he allegedly said “all of the money goes to Israel,” and described a plan to conceal weapons inside “bags,” instructing, “If they move to the left, you will kill them on the left.”
The undercover operative testified that he attempted to delay the plot, fearing Saadaoui might open fire immediately. Prosecutors said the suspect later identified a “pro-Israel march” as his “primary target,” boasting, “They are cowardly. The minute they hear ‘boom’ or ‘Allahu Akbar,’ you wouldn’t find them.”
In court, Saadaoui has pleaded not guilty, insisting that he never meant to commit violence and was only pretending in order to alert police.
{Matzav.com}
