Moscow, Aug. 11, 2025 (RIA/NAN) Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz on Monday strongly condemned the vandalism of the Western Wall, after unknown individuals spray-painted a pro-Palestinian slogan on the southern section of the sacred site.
Israeli Channel 12 earlier reported that graffiti reading “There is a holocaust in Gaza” was discovered on the wall.
The channel later confirmed that police had detained a 27-year-old Jerusalem resident suspected of carrying out the vandalism, which also included similar slogans in central Jerusalem.
“The desecration of the Western Wall, one of the holiest sites for the Jewish people, is a heinous act and a red line that cannot be crossed,” Katz said in a post on X (formerly Twitter).
“Harming holy sites is an attack on the entire Jewish people.”
National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir also condemned the act, stating that Israeli police “will act with lightning speed to stop the perpetrator and bring him to justice.”
The incident comes amid growing tensions over the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
The situation had worsened since Israel cut ties with the UN Palestine refugee agency (UNRWA), which had long been responsible for aid distribution in the territory.
Several hundred UNRWA aid centres have since closed, replaced by just four operated by the U.S.- and Israeli-backed Gaza Humanitarian Fund.
Reports from rights groups and media have documented Israeli troops firing at Palestinians waiting in line for aid.
The current war began on Octo 7, 2023, when Hamas launched an unprecedented rocket barrage into Israel. Militants crossed the border, attacked civilians and soldiers, and took more than 200 hostages.
According to Israeli authorities, around 1,200 Israelis were killed.
In response, Israel launched Operation Iron Swords, striking both military and civilian infrastructure in Gaza.
The Israeli government imposed a total blockade on the territory, halting the supply of water, electricity, food, fuel, and medicine.
Since then, the conflict has escalated and expanded, claiming the lives of more than 60,000 Palestinians and about 1,500 Israelis.
Fighting has spread to Lebanon and Yemen and provoked missile exchanges between Israel and Iran.