Police in Berlin said they have begun an investigation into Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas over his comments on the Holocaust during a recent visit to the German capital.
Police have received a complaint accusing Mr Abbas of "relativising the Holocaust" and are investigating "on suspicion of inciting hatred", a police spokeswoman said.
Any relevant findings will be passed to Berlin prosecutors who will eventually decide whether a crime has been committed.
At a joint press conference with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Tuesday, Mr Abbas had accused Israel of committing "50 Holocausts" against Palestinians since 1947.
Mr Scholz did not immediately challenge Abbas on his comments but, following widespread criticism, tweeted on Wednesday that he was "disgusted by the outrageous remarks" made by the Palestinian leader.
In Israel, Mr Abbas' remarks drew a hail of condemnation from Prime Minister Yair Lapid and others.
Mr Lapid said the remarks were a "monstrous lie".
Mahmoud Abbas accusing Israel of having committed "50 Holocausts" while standing on German soil is not only a moral disgrace, but a monstrous lie.
— יאיר לפיד - Yair Lapid (@yairlapid) August 16, 2022
Six million Jews were murdered in the Holocaust, including one and a half million Jewish children.
History will never forgive him.
According to Germany's Bild daily, the foreign ministry believes Mr Abbas will benefit from diplomatic immunity because he was in Germany on an "official visit".
But Michael Kubiciel, a professor of criminal law quoted by Bild, said Mr Abbas could only enjoy immunity if he had been in Germany "as a representative of another state".
Germany does not recognise Palestine as a country, but maintains diplomatic relations with the Palestinian territories.
