Car rams barricade near Israel embassy in Tokyo, man detained

A man crashed a car into a barricade near the entrance of the Israeli embassy in Tokyo on Thursday, injuring a police officer.

Police arrested the 53-year-old at the scene, local media reported.

An official at the Israeli embassy said the matter was under police investigation and declined further comment.

The incident happened at an area near the embassy which has been the site of a handful of pro-Palestinian demonstrations against Israel’s bombardment of the Gaza Strip in recent weeks.

Police had stepped up security in the area, including erecting the temporary barricades, since the Israel-Hamas war began on Oct. 7, residents said.

A month ago, a staffer at the Israeli embassy in Beijing was assaulted on the street and hospitalized.