Overview
- The IDF said Sunday the viral photo shared on X by journalist Younis Tirawi is authentic and shows one of its soldiers in southern Lebanon striking a statue of Jesus.
- The army's Northern Command opened an investigation and said it will take disciplinary action if warranted.
- Officials and residents in Debel, a Maronite Christian village near the border, identified the statue’s location and local leaders condemned the act as an offense to their faith.
- Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar called the damage disgraceful and apologized to Christians, while online backlash spread to US political figures who reposted and criticized the image.
- The incident comes during ongoing Israeli operations in southern Lebanon after a recent ceasefire, which keeps troops in the area and heightens sensitivity around harm to religious sites.