Police investigating reports Israeli flags were lit on fire in Toronto

TORONTO — Police in Toronto say they’re investigating a possible hate crime after receiving reports that several Israeli flags were lit on fire early Wednesday morning.

Police say they were called at around 1:30 a.m. to the area of Sunrise Avenue and O’Connor Drive in the north end of the city where it was reported the flags were burned

Police say the incident is being investigated by the force’s hate crime unit.

Police say there were no reported injuries and no arrests have been made.

The incident comes on the third anniversary of the Oct. 7 Hamas attack on Israel that left about 1,200 people dead and saw over 200 people taken hostage.

Israel launched a retaliatory war that has killed more than 75,000 people in Gaza, while there has also been increased settler violence against Palestinians in the West Bank.

Toronto mayoral candidate Brad Bradford condemned the incident as an “act of intimidation” against the Jewish community in a social media post Wednesday.

“Hate directed at any community is a threat to every community, and the people responsible for this need to be found and charged,” he wrote.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 7, 2026.

The Canadian Press