The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said it replaced a damaged Jesus Christ statue in southern Lebanon after soldiers broke the religious figure.
In a statement, the IDF noted that “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 forces also stated they are assisting the community in restoring the statue.
The IDF expressed deep regret over the incident and said it is working to prevent such occurrences in the future. Soldiers responsible for breaking the statue were sentenced to 30 days of military detention. Six additional soldiers who witnessed the incident but did not intervene or report it will be summoned for “clarification discussions” later, with further command-level measures potentially taken.
A photo surfaced online showing an Israeli soldier using what appeared to be a hammer or axe against a crucified Jesus Christ figure in Debel. The image depicted the soldier hitting the head of the figure after it had been removed from the cross.
Maroun Nassif, deputy head of the municipality, said the incident was “an attack on our sacred beliefs.”
The IDF opened an investigation into the photograph, calling the soldiers’ actions “wholly inconsistent with the values expected of its troops.” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned the act, stating he was “stunned and saddened” by it.
Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, voiced “deep indignation” and “unreserved condemnation” for the desecration. The Assembly of Catholic Ordinaries of the Holy Land called the act a “grave affront to the Christian faith.”
Archbishop Vincenzo Paglia stated that Jesus himself went to Tyre and Sidon in southern Lebanon but did not go there to kill; rather, he “went to multiply bread, to heal, to perform miracles – not to destroy.”
The U.S. Ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, a Baptist minister, said that “swift, severe, & public consequences are needed.”
Christians make up approximately one-third of Lebanon’s population of about 5.5 million people. Thousands have been displaced from their homes in the south since Israel launched its military operation on March 2, which has killed 2,290 people according to Lebanese authorities, including 177 children and 100 healthcare workers.
The IDF also stated it is operating to dismantle terrorist infrastructure established by Hezbollah in southern Lebanon and has no intention of harming civilian infrastructure, including religious buildings or symbols.
