Albania's chief rabbi faces calls for removal after video shows him celebrating Gaza destruction

A video depicting Albania's chief rabbi, Yoel Kaplan, celebrating the destruction in Gaza and leading Israeli troops in prayer has prompted an angry backlash in the country.

Kaplan, who is also an Israeli officer, returned to Israel after 7 October following the Hamas assault on the south, which resulted in nearly 1,200 Israeli nationals and foreigners being killed and 251 people being captured and taken back to Gaza.

Since then, more than 40,000 Palestinians have been killed by Israel and over 94,000 wounded.

The video featuring Kaplan in Gaza was posted by a Jewish community website on Monday, but it is not exactly clear when it was taken.

Kaplan was appointed chief rabbi by the Albanian government in 2010, against the wishes of the country’s Jewish community.