MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Authorities are currently reviewing patient records at an Australian hospital following a nurse’s alarming online claim about harming Israelis. Officials announced on Wednesday that there has been no evidence of any patient harm discovered during the investigation.

This incident is part of a troubling trend of increasing antisemitic incidents and rhetoric across Australia. Over the past year, there have been numerous attacks, including vandalism of homes, businesses, and offices, as well as arson attacks on a school and two synagogues targeting the Jewish community.

In response to escalating antisemitic crimes since the onset of the Israel-Hamas conflict in 2023, a specialized police strike force has been established in Sydney. New South Wales Health Minister Ryan Park mentioned that potential legal violations linked to the online video, including breaches of hate speech laws, are under investigation.

In Sydney and Melbourne, the two largest cities in Australia—home to about 85% of the nation’s Jewish population—hate crime officials are separately examining a discovery involving a trailer containing explosives, a list of potential Jewish targets, and recent arson attacks against two synagogues.

On Wednesday, two nurses who participated in a controversial online discussion with Israeli influencer Max Veifer during a night shift at Sydney’s Bankstown Hospital were suspended. Minister Park stated that they would not be permitted to work for the state health department again.

“These individuals exhibit vile and disturbing behavior,” Park expressed to the media. Jewish community leader Alex Ryvchin, co-CEO of the Executive Council of Australian Jewry, highlighted the rising extremism among medical professionals in Australia towards the Jewish community.

“I’ve been receiving reports from medical practitioners about increasingly extreme content being shared by their colleagues online,” Ryvchin conveyed to Network 10. He emphasized that this disturbing trend is not limited to just a few individuals but rather indicates a larger problem. “This is just the beginning of uncovering deeper issues,” he added.

The authorities acted swiftly after the video featuring the nurses, a man and a woman whose identities have not been disclosed, was shared online. Attempts to reach the nurses directly were unsuccessful, and Veifer did not respond to a request for comment.

Veifer, an Israeli right-wing activist, is known for his viral videos where he engages with individuals worldwide to highlight antisemitic sentiments. Last month, in an interview with Israel’s right-wing Channel 14, he mentioned that he aims to expose antisemitism through these recordings.

In the controversial video, the two nurses appeared to misrepresent themselves as doctors, according to health department secretary Susan Pearce. The female nurse remarked that she wouldn’t treat an Israeli patient and went as far as to claim she would kill one, while the male nurse made a throat-slitting gesture accompanied by profane language.

Minister Park confirmed that the investigation of Bankstown Hospital revealed no evidence indicating that any Jewish patients had been harmed. “To the Jewish community, I sincerely apologize. I assure you that the care we provide in our hospitals will maintain its high standards,” Park affirmed, noting that past records at the hospital would also be reviewed.

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Associated Press writer Melanie Lidman contributed to this report from Tel Aviv, Israel.