Overview
- A widely shared photo shows a soldier striking a fallen statue of Jesus with an axe in Debel, and the IDF confirmed the image depicts one of its troops.
- Reuters verified the location as Debel in southern Lebanon, a village where some residents stayed during Israel’s campaign against Hezbollah.
- The IDF said Northern Command opened an investigation, promised disciplinary steps based on the findings, and pledged to help the community restore the statue.
- Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned the act in the strongest terms and Foreign Minister Gideon Saar apologized to Christians who were hurt by it.
- The episode unfolds during a U.S.-brokered ceasefire as Israeli forces hold positions inside Lebanon, post maps of new deployment lines up to 5–10 km from the border, and restrict movement in dozens of southern villages.