The Israeli military's statement came just after midnight on Sunday and Monday, shortly after the photo began circulating on the Internet. Israel Defense Forces spokesman, Lt. Col. Nadav Shoshani reported via the X website that the army has initiated an investigation into this matter.
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The Israeli military announces it will take steps
After an initial analysis of the photo, the Israeli military confirmed that the photo was authentic and depicted an IDF soldier operating in southern Lebanon. “The Israel Defense Forces takes the incident very seriously and emphasizes that the soldier's behavior is completely contrary to the values expected of its soldiers.“, we read in the army's statement.
The Israeli army's reaction to the incident
The Israeli military also announced that appropriate consequences would be brought against those involved in the incident. At the same time, the army declared that it would take action to restore the destroyed monument to its place.
The Israeli army also noted that its forces are conducting operations against Hezbollah's terrorist infrastructure in southern Lebanon, and that the activities carried out in the region are aimed only at fighting terrorist infrastructure, and not at destroying places of worship or religious symbols.
The incident occurred in the Christian village of Debel, located in southern Lebanon. In this area, the Israeli military conducts operations against Hezbollah fighters.
