Young man arrested on suspicion of arson at Japanika restaurant in Givatayim

The Central Unit of the Tel Aviv District Police arrested a man in his 20s, a resident of Rehovot, this Tuesday morning on suspicion of setting fire to a Japanika restaurant in Givatayim. Police are expected to bring him before the Tel Aviv Magistrate's Court later today to request an extension of his detention.

According to the police statement, the arson occurred in the early morning hours of July 12. Since then, investigators from the Central Unit have been working to locate the suspect, who was apprehended a short time ago.

As previously reported, the arson in Givatayim is part of an unusual wave of attacks against the chain's branches across the country. Over the course of several days, there were reports of an explosive device thrown at a branch in Ramat Gan, a fragmentation grenade at a branch in Kiryat Ono, grenades at branches in Afula and Netanya, and gunfire at the branch in Herzliya. In most cases, there were no casualties, though property damage was reported.