An Israeli man has been jailed for four years after being found guilty of an arson attack on the church where it is thought Jesus performed the miracle of feeding the 5,000.

Yin Reuveni, 23, was described as a Jewish extremist and had earlier been found guilty of 'aggravated arson' and two counts of criminal conspiracy for the attack on the Church of Multiplication of Loaves and Fish in Galilee in June 2015.

As well as four years in prison Reuveni, who lives in a Jewish settled in occupied Palestine, was fined 50,000 shekels ($14,000).

The attack left two rooms of the Catholic church complex badly damaged but the church itself escaped unharmed. As well as the fire damage Hebrew graffiti reading 'Idols will be cast out' from a common Jewish prayer was found at the site.

It cost around $1million to repair the famous church in Tabgha on the shore of the Sea of Galilee, with the Israeli government paying around $400,000.

Reuveni's lawyer Itamar Ben-Gvir argued the sentence was too harsh and said he planned to appeal it as well as the verdict.