Police in Berlin have launched an investigation into Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and his comments about Israel committing multiple “Holocausts” and whether they amount to incitement to hatred.

The State Criminal Police in the German capital are now examining if there are any legal consequences to the shocking statement he made recently while sharing a press conference with chancellor Scholz.

"The preliminary investigation into the initial suspicion of incitement to hatred under Section 130 of the Criminal Code is being processed in a specialist department of the State Criminal Police Office" a police spokesperson told Bild newspaper.

After being received as a guest in the chancellery, Abbas stood in a joint press conference with Olaf Scholz and claimed Israel had committed multiple “Holocausts” against the Palestinian people.

"Israel has committed 50 massacres in 50 Palestinian locations from 1947 to the present day...50 massacres, 50 holocausts."

It is unclear, however, whether the investigation will result in any legal action being taken against Abbas.

A spokesperson for The German Federal Foreign Office said it assumed that Abbas would escape any legal ramifications via diplomatic immunity, given that he was in Germany on an official visit.

This is not, however, necessarily the deciding factor here, as other individuals can enjoy official visits without enjoying diplomatic immunity.

It is thought the key legal issue will therefore come down to whether or not Abbas was officially in Germany as a representative of another state and therefore entitled to diplomatic immunity.