Issued on: 20/04/2026 - 21:55Modified: 20/04/2026 - 22:00
The Israeli military has confirmed a viral photo of one of its soldiers smashing a statue of Jesus with a sledgehammer in southern Lebanon is "authentic," and said it has launched an investigation into the incident. It occurred in the Christian village of Debel, close to the Israeli border, one of the few villages where residents stayed put during Israel's campaign in southern Lebanon. Locals say the statue was on a crucifix outside a family home.
The IDF said in a statement that the soldier's conduct is "wholly inconsistent with the values expected of its troops", and that a probe is underway by Northern Command. This was echoed by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who declared he was "shocked and saddened" in a post on X. Israel's Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar also reacted, calling the incident "grave and disgraceful."
The photo was first posted online by Palestinian journalist Younis Tirawi and has racked up millions of views.
The defacing of the religious statue also triggered outrage in the US, particularly amongst right-wing and evangelical voices.
US ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee said "swift, severe and public consequences" are needed, though he praised Israel's condemnation of the incident. Former Trump loyalist and US congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene shared the photo and wrote sarcastically of Israel: "Our greatest ally, that takes billions of our tax dollars and weapons every year." The White House has not commented on the photo.
The photo's release and the global condemnation of the incident come amid a recent flare-up of tensions between Israeli authorities and Christian leaders in the Middle East.
Last month, Israeli authorities prevented Christian faith leaders from entering the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem for Palm Sunday Mass, including the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa. Also in March, Pope Leo XIV condemned the killing of Father Pierre al-Rahi in southern Lebanon, after an Israeli tank fired on a house in the village of Qlayaa.
Vedika Bahl goes through what we know about the photo, and the reactions in Truth or Fake.
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