Israeli police have arrested a man in connection with the arson attack on a mosque in the north of the country.

According to his lawyer the suspect is an 18-year-old seminary student linked to a hardline settlement in the West Bank.

The suspect, who reportedly had been barred from the settlement in July because he was believed to be planning violent attacks against Palestinians, denied the charges against him.

Monday's attack on the Tuba-Zangria mosque, near the northern Israeli town of Safed, prompted severe condemnations from the Israeli President and the Prime Minister, as well as rabbis and Christian and Druze leaders.

The fire caused damage to the building and copies of the Koran, while vandals also daubed graffiti on the walls. The village's residents held a protest in response and threw stones at police officers.