Molotov cocktails thrown at the tomb site of Mordechai and Esther
An unknown assailant hurled Molotov cocktails at the Mordechai and Esther mausoleum in the city of Hamadan, Iran. Footage of the incident was released on social media, showing the aftermath of a fire that broke out at the entrance to the Jewish site.
The site endured various incidents since the start of the war in Gaza, including attempted arson, after demonstrators expressed frustration that Iranian authorities had been safeguarding the holy site and did not succumb to pressure from extremists calling to desecrate it.
Last month, during the visit of Iran's Chief Rabbi Yehuda Gerami to the tombs of Mordecai and Esther, a Palestinian Authority flag was hanging at the entrance to the site.
In October last year, following the outbreak of the war, extremists in the province sought to change the Mordecai and Esther tomb's status from private to public, claiming they asked to do so with the consent of Iran's Jewish community. The request came a day after protesters burned the Israeli flag outside the complex.
According to Jewish tradition, the two Purim Hagaddah protagonists were buried in the Iranian city after their deaths, though some dispute this saying their bones were brought for burial in northern Israel.