The Israeli military has launched a criminal investigation after a soldier was photographed striking a Catholic statue of Jesus with a sledgehammer in southern Lebanon. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed the image circulating on social media was authentic, showing the soldier using the tool on the head of a crucified Jesus figure that had fallen from its cross.
The statue, located in the Christian village of Debl near the border with Israel, was defaced in an act that drew condemnation from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who said he was “stunned and saddened” and promised “harsh disciplinary action”. The IDF said it was working with villagers to restore the statue.
The incident provoked outrage in Lebanon and abroad, particularly among US evangelicals, whose support for Israel has waned since the Gaza war. The Italian government and papal authorities reacted angrily; Defence Minister Guido Crosetto called it an “unacceptable and unjustifiable act”. Archbishop Vincenzo Paglia criticised the lack of culture behind the violence, noting that Jesus himself went to southern Lebanon to heal, not to destroy.
This is not an isolated incident. Israeli soldiers have damaged other religious sites in southern Lebanon, including the Grand Mosque of Bint Jbeil, which dated to the Roman empire, and the shrine of Saint Peter in Chamaa, partly bulldozed last week. The intentional targeting of religious sites violates international humanitarian law under the Geneva Conventions.
Israeli forces have also demolished wide swathes of towns in the region, releasing videos of remote detonations. Foreign Minister Gideon Saar condemned the act as “shameful and disgraceful” and apologised, stating that severe measures would be taken against the perpetrator.
