Jerusalem: An Israeli occupier desecrated one of the holiest Armenian churches, St. James Cathedral, in Jerusalem's Old City, according to footage shared by the Jerusalem Governorate. Security camera footage, shared late Friday, shows the individual spitting multiple times on the entrance of the church, before raising his middle finger and using his other hand to mockingly form the shape of a cross.

According to Anadolu Agency, the incident took place in the Armenian Quarter of the Old City, which is home to key religious sites and a long-standing Armenian Christian presence. This latest incident follows a recent assault by an Israeli occupier on a nun in occupied East Jerusalem on Wednesday.

Hundreds of clergy and nuns from around the world serve in churches and religious institutions in East Jerusalem. Recent years have seen a noticeable rise in attacks by Israelis against Christian and Muslim clergy, as well as against religious sites in the occupied city.

Churches in East Jerusalem have repeatedly called on Israeli authorities to take firm action to stop such attacks. About 750,000 Israeli occupiers live in hundreds of settlements in the occupied West Bank, including around 250,000 in East Jerusalem, and carry out daily attacks against Palestinians.

Since October 2023, attacks by Israeli forces and occupiers in the West Bank have killed at least 1,155 Palestinians and injured about 12,000 others.