'There is a holocaust in Gaza' graffitied on Western Wall

A 27-year-old man has been arrested by Israeli police on suspicion of spraying graffiti on the Western Wall in Jerusalem condemning Israel's war on Gaza. Police say the suspect will appear in court later today, and that prosecutors are pushing to extend his detention.

The graffiti, which included the phrase "there is a holocaust in Gaza" written in Hebrew, also appeared on the wall of the city’s Great Synagogue.

Far-right Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir said that the police will "act with lightning speed" to bring the offender to justice, while far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich denounced the graffiti as a "sick antisemitic blood libel". 

"A holy place is not a place to express protests... The police must investigate this action, track down the criminals responsible for the desecration and bring them to justice," the Western Wall's Rabbi Shmuel Rabinovitch said.