Israeli Soldiers Damage Jesus Statue in Debel, Lebanon, After Photo Verified

A photo circulating online showed an Israeli soldier in southern Lebanon damaging a statue of Jesus Christ by striking it with what appeared to be an axe or sledgehammer, and Israeli officials confirmed the image was authentic.

NBC News reported that the photo emerged over the weekend and showed a soldier taking what appeared to be an axe or sledgehammer to the face of the statue, with the statue “turned upside down and off its cross,” according to the Israeli military’s confirmation.

Al Jazeera

The incident was tied to the village of Debel in southern Lebanon, where Reuters reported the cross was part of “a small shrine in the garden of a family living on the edge of the village,” and where locals said the statue stood “on a crucifix outside a family home on the edge of Debel.”

The BBC said the image prompted widespread condemnation after it was widely shared online, and it identified the incident as occurring in the village of Debel in southern Lebanon.

The Guardian described the image as showing “one used a sledgehammer to smash a statue of Jesus in southern Lebanon,” while another soldier filmed him.

In response, the Israeli Defense Forces said it launched an investigation after determining the authenticity of the photo and said it would take “appropriate measures” against those involved.

The statue incident unfolded against the backdrop of a 10-day U.S.-brokered ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon, with NBC News describing “Fragile ceasefire holds on the Israel-Lebanon border” and saying the comments came amid a “10-day U.S.-brokered ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon.”

NBC News also said Israel invaded southern Lebanon and has attacked the country from the air after strikes by the country’s Iran-backed Hezbollah militants, and it reported that the Israeli operation has displaced more than 1 million people and killed nearly 2,300, “according to Lebanese officials.”

Al Jazeera

The BBC likewise tied the incident to the wider war, saying “Thousands of Israeli troops continue to occupy a wide area of southern Lebanon after a US-brokered ceasefire came into force between Israel and Lebanon on Friday,” and it described the ceasefire as pausing “six weeks of fighting” between the IDF and Hezbollah.

The BBC further stated that Israel began a military campaign in Lebanon on 2 March and that “more than a million people have been displaced and more than 2,290 have been killed, including 177 children and 100 healthcare workers, Lebanese authorities say.”

In the same period, the BBC reported that “Israeli officials say that 13 Israeli soldiers and two civilians have been killed by Hezbollah attacks in the same period.”

Al Jazeera’s report framed the incident as part of the broader pattern of conflict and said Israeli officials confirmed the image is genuine and “promised to investigate.”

Israeli leaders and the military condemned the act after confirming the photo’s authenticity, while religious leaders in Lebanon rejected the desecration and called for accountability.

NBC News said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told reporters he was “stunned and saddened” by the photo and added, “I condemn the act in the strongest terms,” while also saying, “We express regret for the incident and for any hurt this has caused to believers in Lebanon and around the world.”

The IDF said “The IDF views the incident with great severity and emphasizes that the soldier’s conduct is wholly inconsistent with the values expected of its troops,” and it said the incident is being further investigated with “appropriate measures” to be taken against those involved.

The BBC reported that the IDF statement said an inquiry had “determined that the soldiers' conduct completely deviated from IDF orders and values” and expressed “deep regret over the incident.”

On the Lebanese side, the BBC quoted Father Fadi Flaifel, head of Debel’s congregation, saying, “We totally reject the desecration of the cross, our sacred symbol, and all religious symbols.”

Reuters, as cited by NBC News, quoted a local priest, Fadi Falfel, saying, “One of the Israeli soldiers broke the cross and did this horrible thing, this desecration of our holy symbols.”

After the investigation, multiple outlets reported punishment for the soldiers involved, including detention and removal from combat duty.

The Guardian said “Two Israeli soldiers have been removed from combat duty and sentenced to 30 days in jail after one used a sledgehammer to smash a statue of Jesus in southern Lebanon, while the other filmed him, the Israel Defense Forces have said.”

BBC

The BBC similarly reported that “The Israeli soldier who hit a statue of Jesus with a sledgehammer in Lebanon and the soldier who photographed the incident will receive 30 days of military detention,” and it added that the two soldiers would be “removed from combat duty” following an inquiry.

The BBC also said “Another six soldiers who were at the scene and failed to intervene or report the incident will be dealt with separately,” and it reported that “The investigation found that six other troops were “present at the scene and did not act to stop the incident or report it.””

The Guardian added that “The remaining troops who stood by have been summoned for clarification discussions that will be held later, after which further command-level measures will be determined,” and it quoted the IDF saying “procedures regarding conduct with religious institutions and symbols were reinforced to troops prior to their entry into the relevant areas.”

The BBC said the IDF posted a photo of the replacement crucifix and that it appeared “smaller but more ornate than the original statue smashed by the soldier,” and it said troops replaced it “in full co-ordination with the local community.”

The statue incident triggered a wider political dispute and competing narratives about Israel’s conduct, with outlets describing reactions ranging from U.S. conservative figures to European diplomatic friction.

“Israeli soldiers punished over vandalism of Jesus statue in Lebanon The Israeli soldier who hit a statue of Jesus with a sledgehammer in Lebanon and the soldier who photographed the incident will receive 30 days of military detention, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has said”

BBC

NBC News reported that Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar called the photo “grave and disgraceful,” saying in a statement on X that he commended the IDF for its condemnation, and it quoted Saar saying, “I’m confident that the necessary strict measures will be taken against whoever carried out this ugly act.”

BBC

NBC News also said U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee posted on X that “swift, severe, & public consequences are needed” for what he called an “outrageous act.”

In the United States, y alibnan reported that major backlash spread across the political spectrum and quoted Marjorie Taylor Greene posting “‘Our greatest ally’ that takes billions of our tax dollars and weapons every year,” beneath the image, while it also cited Matt Gaetz writing “horrific.”

In Europe, POLITICO.eu reported a Poland-Israel spat after Poland’s Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski wrote on X that even Israeli “soldiers themselves admit to war crimes,” and it said Sa’ar responded on X that Sikorski’s criticism reflected “ignorance and a deep lack of understanding.”

POLITICO.eu also quoted Sa’ar’s defense of the IDF as a “professional and ethical army,” adding, “there is no Western military that fights terrorism more precisely, or on the basis of better intelligence, than the IDF.”