Swedish Teens Convicted in Grenade Attack on Israeli Embassy

A Copenhagen court has convicted two Swedish citizens of terrorism and attempted murder for a grenade attack targeting the Israeli embassy in the Danish capital's upscale Hellerup neighborhood.

The attack occurred in the early hours of October 2, 2024, when the two men—then aged 16 and 18—threw two hand grenades toward the diplomatic mission. The grenades failed to reach their intended target and instead detonated on the terrace of a nearby residential building approximately 100 meters away. The explosion damaged the terrace and an adjacent house, though no injuries were reported.

**The Convictions**

On Tuesday, February 3, 2026, the Copenhagen court handed down guilty verdicts for terrorism and attempted murder against the occupants of the damaged residence. The court ruled the attack was a terrorist act intended to seriously frighten both the Israeli and Danish populations. The verdict was not unanimous: two judges and four jurors voted guilty, while one judge and two jurors dissented.

The younger defendant, now 18, received a 12-year prison sentence. The older defendant, now 21, received 14 years. Both men were also ordered to be deported to Sweden upon completion of their sentences. The court acquitted them of endangering the lives or safety of soldiers guarding the embassy.

**Criminal Networks and Recruitment**

The younger perpetrator admitted to membership in Foxtrot, a Swedish criminal network described by prosecutors as acting as the "armed wing of a Middle Eastern terrorist organization" in Denmark. According to court evidence, he was recruited into the network while still in secondary school. The older defendant faces additional criminal charges in Sweden related to another attack. Both men acted in concert with one or more unidentified accomplices from a Swedish criminal network.