Jewish residents already fear for their lives following an escalating series of antisemitic attacks across the city. Places of worship have been vandalised. A childcare centre near a Maroubra synagogue has been firebombed.

The van is in police custody and police have made "periphery" arrests and assure there's no related ongoing threat but the main perpetrator is yet to be charged and questions remain over why it took 10 days to disclose the alarming find.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has said the discovery of a caravan packed with explosives in outer suburban Sydney was part of a terrorist plot, with local officials drawing a link between the find and a recent spate of antisemitic attacks.