A photo of an Israeli soldier hitting a statue of Jesus with a sledgehammer is condemned by the Army
The Israeli army said late Sunday it had confirmed the authenticity of a photo that caused a stir after it was shared on social media, showing a soldier hitting a statue of Jesus Christ with a sledgehammer in southern Lebanon, AFP reports.
Israel took control of several areas in southern Lebanon, a stronghold of Hezbollah, after the pro-Iranian terrorist movement attacked Israel on March 2 in retaliation for the Israeli-American offensive against Iran.
A truce between the two sides was announced last Friday by US President Donald Trump.
“Following the completion of an initial examination of a photo published earlier today showing an Israel Defense Forces (IDF) soldier damaging a Christian symbol, it has been determined that the image depicts an IDF serviceman on operations in southern Lebanon,” the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) noted in a message published on the “X” network.
“The IDF considers the incident to be of particular seriousness and emphasizes that the soldier's behavior is completely incompatible with the values expected of its soldiers. The incident is being investigated by the Northern Command and is currently being reviewed up the chain of command. Appropriate action will be taken against those involved, in accordance with the findings of the investigation,” the IDF continued.
The Israeli military rules out deliberate attacks on religious symbols
The Israeli army also said it was making efforts to support the community in returning the statue to its place.
In an earlier message, the IDF said it was conducting operations to dismantle the terrorist infrastructure created by Hezbollah in southern Lebanon and had no intention of affecting civilian infrastructure such as religious buildings or religious symbols.
Arab media said the statue was in the Christian village of Debl in southern Lebanon, near the border with Israel.
The municipality of Debl told AFP that the statue was indeed in the village, but could not confirm whether it had been damaged.
Israeli troops remained in the area and demolished several houses on Sunday, according to ANI, Lebanon's official news agency.
