Two Israeli soldiers have been sentenced to military detention after destroying a statue of Jesus Christ with a sledgehammer in southern Lebanon.
| PULSE POINTS |
❓ WHAT HAPPENED: Two Israeli soldiers have been sentenced to 30 days of military detention after smashing a statue of Jesus Christ in Debel, a Christian village in southern Lebanon. One hit the statue with a sledgehammer while the other photographed the act. The image circulated widely on social media over the weekend, drawing sharp criticism from Christians worldwide, with the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) announcing the punishments on Tuesday. 📺 DETAIL: On Sunday, a photo went viral of an IDF soldier smashing a statue of Jesus in the Christian village of Debel in southern Lebanon. Notably, Lebanon was a Christian-majority country until the late 20th century, and Joseph Aoun, the current President of Lebanon, is a Maronite Catholic. The IDF, which claims it is in Lebanon to fight Iran’s Hezbollah allies—who have been outlawed by Lebanon’s official government—expressed regret over the anti-Christian attack, insisting that it does not reflect the values of the IDF. 💬 KEY QUOTE: “The inquiry determined that the soldiers’ conduct completely deviated from IDF orders and values. The IDF expresses deep regret over the incident and emphasizes that its operations in Lebanon are directed solely against the Hezbollah terrorist organization and other terrorist groups, and not against Lebanese civilians.” – IDF statement posted on X (formerly Twitter) on Tuesday. 🎯 IMPACT: The IDF has launched a review to prevent similar acts of desecration. Beyond the two soldiers sentenced to military detention, six others present at the scene face disciplinary action for failing to intervene or report the incident. Israel is attempting to seize a portion of southern Lebanon in order to establish a security buffer zone. |
A short while ago, in full coordination with the local community of Debel in southern Lebanon, the damaged statue was replaced by IDF troops. The Northern Command worked to coordinate the replacement of the statue from the moment it received the report of the incident.
The IDF… pic.twitter.com/nGh1s1iia1
— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) April 21, 2026
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