Israeli Soldier Smashes Jesus Statue in Debel, Lebanon, Netanyahu Orders Criminal Probe

An image of an Israeli soldier smashing the head of a statue of Jesus Christ with a hammer in southern Lebanon sparked a wave of anger online and triggered an investigation by Israel’s military.

The incident was tied to a Christian village in the south, with multiple outlets placing the statue at the edge of Debel, outside a family home.

Al Jazeera

Al Jazeera Net described a photographed frame showing the soldier striking the statue after it had been toppled from its location in a village in southern Lebanon, and it said the image spread widely, reaching “over 8 million views within hours.”

The BBC reported that locals said the statue was on a crucifix outside a family home on the edge of Debel, “one of the few villages where residents have remained during Israel's war with Hezbollah.”

Reuters verification was referenced by The Independent, which said Reuters verified the location of the incident as Debel.

The Guardian said the Catholic sculpture is located in Debl, a Christian village in south Lebanon near the border with Israel, and that the local municipality said officials could not say whether it had been damaged.

In the days after the photo circulated, Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he was “stunned and saddened,” while Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar apologized for the incident and said it was “grave and disgraceful.”

Israel’s response evolved from initial skepticism about the image to confirmation that it was genuine and subject to criminal investigation.

NDTV reported that the Israeli army said it was looking into the authenticity of an image circulating on social media and quoted spokesman Nadav Shoshani saying the army “is currently examining the reliability of the photograph.”

Al Jazeera

The Times of Israel described an earlier stage as the photo spread online, when IDF spokesperson Lt. Col. Nadav Shoshani posted on X that the military would investigate, and it said that after an initial review the military determined that “it was established that the photograph depicts an IDF soldier operating in southern Lebanon.”

The Guardian similarly said Israel’s military officials determined that the image circulating on social media showing the incident was authentic and that the Israeli military is conducting a criminal investigation after a soldier was photographed striking a Catholic statue of Jesus with a sledgehammer.

Euronews reported that Netanyahu condemned the act and said Israeli authorities were conducting a criminal probe and that the offender would be subject to “harsh disciplinary action.”

Multiple outlets also reported the IDF’s stated seriousness and the steps it said it would take, including working with the Christian community to restore the statue.

The IDF’s language was consistent across reports, with the BBC quoting the military saying it viewed the incident “with great severity and emphasises that the soldier's conduct is wholly inconsistent with the values expected of its troops.”

The Jerusalem Post said the incident is being investigated by the Northern Command and that “Appropriate measures will be taken against those involved in accordance with the findings,” while also adding that the IDF will assist the community in restoring the statue to its place.

Israel’s political leadership condemned the act and framed it as contrary to values of tolerance and respect among religions.

The BBC reported that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he was “stunned and saddened” by what happened, and it quoted Foreign Minister Gideon Saar saying: “We apologise for this incident and to every Christian whose feelings were hurt.”

Euronews said Netanyahu condemned the desecration in “the strongest terms,” announcing that military authorities were conducting a criminal probe and that the offender would be subject to “harsh disciplinary action.”

Euronews also quoted Netanyahu’s claim that Israel “cherishes values based on tolerance and mutual respect among followers of all religions,” and it repeated his statement that “While Christians are being slaughtered in Syria and Lebanon by Muslims, the Christian population in Israel thrives unlike elsewhere in the Middle East.”

Al Jazeera Net included Sa’ar’s apology and his description of the incident as “grave and disgraceful,” adding that he said it contradicts the values of respecting religions and their sacred symbols.

The Guardian reported that Gideon Saar condemned what he called a “shameful and disgraceful” act and said on X: “We apologise for this incident and to every Christian whose feelings were hurt.”

The Times of Israel reported that Sa’ar said the action was “completely contrary to our values” and that he was confident “the necessary strict measures will be taken against whoever carried out this ugly act.”

In parallel, the IDF said it would restore the statue, with the BBC reporting that the IDF added it was working with the Christian community to “restore the statue to its place.”

Religious leaders and residents in Debel condemned the act and described it as a desecration of Christian symbols.

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

Al-Jazeera Net

He added that “It goes against the declaration of human rights, and it doesn't reflect civility.”

The Independent reported that Fadi Felfle, a priest in Debel, confirmed that the cross was part of a small shrine situated in the garden of a family residing on the edge of the village, and it quoted him saying: “One of the Israeli soldiers broke the cross and did this horrible thing, this desecration of our holy symbols.”

Al Jazeera Net said it spoke with two residents of the Christian village of Debel who told Al Jazeera Net that the statue is indeed at the village’s edge, within the courtyard of a Christian family’s home.

The Independent also described the village as one of the few where residents have remained amid an Israeli military campaign against Hezbollah, and it said the incident was captured in Debel, a Christian village located approximately 6 kilometres from Lebanon's border with Israel.

The Guardian reported that the Israeli military said it was working with people in the village to “restore the statue in its place,” and it said the IDF would assist the Christian community in restoring the statue to its place.

In the same reporting, the Guardian quoted Archbishop Vincenzo Paglia, who told La7: “What is the real problem today? The risk is that a lack of culture infects every other dimension of life.”

The statue incident landed against a broader backdrop of Israel’s war with Hezbollah and a ceasefire that had recently taken effect, with outlets linking the episode to heightened tensions and ongoing military activity in southern Lebanon.

The BBC said 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 said the ceasefire paused “six weeks of fighting between the IDF and the Shia Muslim armed group Hezbollah,” while both sides accused each other of violations.

Anadolu Ajansı

Euronews said the incident risks further escalating heightened tensions between Israel and Lebanon, amid a fragile ceasefire that came into effect last Thursday, and it described the long-standing conflict with Hezbollah as revived on 2 March in the wider context of the US and Israel's military campaign against Iran.

Euronews also said confrontations between the IDF and Hezbollah have continued in the buffer zone between the south of Lebanon and Israel, and it reported that the IDF has reportedly continued to demolish buildings in the area, warning many residents against returning to their homes.

The Independent described the ceasefire as a US-mediated, 10-day ceasefire that took effect on Thursday, largely halting the war between the IDF and Hezbollah, but it said it remains fragile and that Israeli troops are still operating throughout southern Lebanon.

The Times of Israel said the photo circulated days into a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah and described it as the latest instance in which footage has been published of Israeli soldiers destroying or looting property.

Al Jazeera Net framed the incident as part of a pattern of cultural desecration, quoting Ryan Grim saying Israeli soldiers have continued to post images documenting their war crimes and cultural desecration for “two and a half years straight without interruption.”

The Guardian added that the defacing provoked outrage in Lebanon and abroad, particularly among evangelicals in the US, and it reported that Italy’s defence minister Guido Crosetto called the act an “unacceptable and unjustifiable act.”