Toronto police are holding an update on an early morning fire in North York at about 6 p.m. ET.
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Ontario’s Office of the Fire Marshal (OFM) is investigating an early morning fire at a Jewish-owned business in North York on Wednesday.
The business, International Delicatessen Foods, was defaced with graffiti. The words “Free Palestine” were spray painted across its rear doors and windows were broken.
Toronto Fire said firefighters were called at about 6:30 a.m. to a plaza at Steeles Avenue and Petrolia Road, where smoke was seen coming from the rear.
The owner of the business confirmed to CBC Toronto that he is Jewish. Police have not said if the incident being probed a hate crime, however, the owner said he believes the vandalism is an act of antisemitism.
No one was injured in the blaze.
Images from the scene indicate that the business’s name is displayed as the acronym “IDF,” seen in large red letters above the building’s entrance. IDF also stands for Israel Defence Forces, which are currently waging war in the Gaza Strip.
Police told CBC Toronto it did not have any information about the graffiti observed on the business.
According to Toronto Fire Services, the OFM, Toronto fire investigators and Toronto police were at the scene on Wednesday afternoon to investigate the cause of the fire.
While authorities have not said the fire is arson, Coun. James Pasternak called it a “hate-motivated attack on a Jewish owned business” in a social media post.