The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said it replaced a statue of Jesus Christ in southern Lebanon damaged by some of its soldiers.
“A short while ago, in full coordination with the local community of Debel in southern Lebanon, the damaged statue was replaced by IDF troops. The Northern Command worked to coordinate the replacement of the statue from the moment it received the report of the incident,” the IDF stated.
“The IDF expresses deep regret over the incident, and is working to ensure that it does not happen again in the future,” it added.
In addition, the soldiers responsible for breaking the statue were sentenced to 30 days of military detention.
A short while ago, in full coordination with the local community of Debel in southern Lebanon, the damaged statue was replaced by IDF troops. The Northern Command worked to coordinate the replacement of the statue from the moment it received the report of the incident.
The IDF… pic.twitter.com/nGh1s1iia1
— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) April 21, 2026
CNN shared further:
Six additional soldiers who witnessed the incident but did nothing to stop it or report it will be summoned for what the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) called “clarification discussions that will be held later on.” The IDF said other command-level measures could be taken.
ADVERTISEMENTOn Sunday, a photo emerged on social media of an Israeli soldier wielding what appears to be a hammer or axe against the figure of a crucified Jesus Christ in the predominantly Christian town of Debel. The photo seemingly showed the soldier hitting the head of the figure after it had been removed from the cross.
Maroun Nassif, the deputy head of the municipality, told CNN after the incident that it was “an attack on our sacred beliefs.”
The IDF opened an investigation into the photo, calling the soldiers’ actions “wholly inconsistent with the values expected of its troops.” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he was “stunned and saddened” by the attack on the religious figure. “I condemn the act in the strongest terms,” he said in a statement on Monday.
“Following the completion of an initial examination regarding a photograph published earlier today of an IDF soldier harming a Christian symbol, it was determined that the photograph depicts an IDF soldier operating in southern Lebanon. 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,” the IDF previously stated.
“The incident is being investigated by the Northern Command and is currently being addressed through the chain of command. Appropriate measures will be taken against those involved in accordance with the findings. Furthermore, the IDF is working to assist the community in restoring the statue to its place,” it continued.
“The IDF is operating to dismantle the terrorist infrastructure established by Hezbollah in southern Lebanon, and has no intention of harming civilian infrastructure, including religious buildings or religious symbols,” it added.
More from The Guardian:
The desecration drew condemnation in Lebanon and internationally, including from figures linked to the Vatican.
The Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, on Monday voiced “deep indignation” and “unreserved condemnation” for the desecration and destruction of the sculpture. In a statement signed by Pizzaballa, the Assembly of Catholic Ordinaries of the Holy Land called the act a “grave affront to the Christian faith” and part of “other reported incidents of desecration of Christian symbols”.
Commenting on the recent defacing of the Jesus statue, Archbishop Vincenzo Paglia said to the Italian broadcaster La7: “I would like to point out to Benjamin Netanyahu that Jesus himself went to Tyre and Sidon, in southern Lebanon. But he did not go there to kill; he went to multiply bread, to heal, to perform miracles – not to destroy.”
ADVERTISEMENTThe US ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, a Baptist minister, said on X that “swift, severe, & public consequences are needed”. Rightwing commentators in the US were also quick to react, with Matt Gaetz describing the image as “horrific” as he shared it online.
Christians are estimated to make up around a third of Lebanon’s population of roughly 5.5 million people. Thousands of them were displaced from their homes in the south during the war launched by Israel on 2 March, which has killed 2,290 people, including 177 children and 100 healthcare workers, according to Lebanese authorities.
