An Israeli soldier was filmed smashing a statue of Jesus Christ in southern Lebanon with a sledgehammer, a video that spread rapidly online and prompted the Israeli military to confirm its authenticity and promise disciplinary action.
The Israel Defense Forces said the footage, taken in the Christian village of Debel, showed one of its soldiers operating in the area where Israeli forces have been active against Hezbollah since the start of the U.S.-Israel conflict with Iran. The military stated it viewed the incident with grave seriousness and emphasized the soldier’s conduct was wholly inconsistent with its values.
The video emerged during a tenuous ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah, which had entered its tenth day following weeks of intensified cross-border fighting. Israeli troops remain deployed in southern Lebanon, where Hezbollah-launched explosives have continued to cause casualties among Israeli forces.
Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar condemned the act on social media, calling it shameful and contrary to Israel’s stated values of religious tolerance. He apologized to Christians who felt hurt by the incident and expressed confidence that the military would grab strict measures against those responsible.
The Israeli military said the Northern Command is leading the investigation through standard chain-of-command procedures and will assist the local Christian community in restoring the statue to its original place.
For more on this story, see US-Iran Ceasefire Strained by Israeli Attacks on Lebanon and Hormuz Tensions.
Palestinian members of the Israeli Knesset, including Ayman Odeh and Ahmad Tibi, responded with sharp criticism on social media, suggesting a pattern of impunity for attacks on religious sites and questioning whether such behavior was being encouraged by broader political rhetoric.
Activists and legal advocates, such as Wadie Abunassar of the Christian Forum in the Holy Land, urged that the incident not be ignored and called for formal complaints to be filed to ensure accountability if the facts are confirmed.
The incident adds to a growing record of documented attacks on religious sites and symbols by Israeli forces and settlers, including the vandalism of 45 mosques in the occupied West Bank over the past year and more than 200 recorded incidents of violence against Christians in Jerusalem between 2024 and 2025, according to data cited by Palestinian authorities and the Religious Freedom Data Center.
Israeli officials have previously faced criticism from Christian leaders in Jerusalem over policies and actions perceived as threatening to the city’s Christian community, tensions that preceded this latest incident in southern Lebanon.
Where exactly did the incident take place?
The video was filmed in the Christian village of Debel in southern Lebanon, near the border with Israel and approximately six kilometers northwest of Ain Ebel.
What action has the Israeli military said it will take?
The military said it has opened an investigation, will take appropriate measures against those involved based on the findings, and will assist the local Christian community in restoring the statue.
