LONDON: Israeli settlers on Thursday vandalized the Church of the Visitation in Ein Karem, a neighborhood in the western part of Jerusalem, according to Wafa news agency.
The Jerusalem Governorate of the Palestinian Authority reported that extremists vandalized church walls and parked vehicles in Ein Karem, which was a Palestinian village before 1948.
Photos show graffiti in red spray paint in Hebrew that says: “Revenge,” “David, king of Israel lives and endures,” and “The (Jewish) messiah is here!” near the outer wall of the Catholic church.
Israeli police announced they are investigating the “nationalist graffiti” and have begun collecting evidence to track down the vandals, according to The Times of Israel.
The governorate said that the vandalism is part of mounting violations by Israeli settlers against religious sites in Jerusalem, including incursions into churches and mosques, and desecration of historical and religious sites.
Settlers commonly spray graffiti during attacks on Palestinian properties in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem, where, since October 2023, there has been a sharp increase in such attacks.
