Overview
- The Israeli military verified a photo showing a uniformed soldier striking a fallen crucifix in southern Lebanon and opened an internal investigation.
- Foreign Minister Gideon Saar called the act contrary to Israeli values and issued a public apology to Christians.
- The IDF said it would take disciplinary measures and help the local Christian community restore the damaged statue.
- The incident took place during a ten-day ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah announced by the U.S. president, which raises diplomatic and communal sensitivities.
- The image spread widely after Palestinian journalist Younis Tirawi posted it on X, and reports differed on whether the tool was a hammer or an axe.