Israeli soldier destroys statue of Christ in Lebanon
In the Lebanese village of Debel, an IDF serviceman smashed the face of the Savior on a crucifix with hammer blows.
The Israeli military command has opened an investigation after photographs were published on social media showing the desecration of a Christian holy object in southern Lebanon. The images, taken in the Christian village of Debel, captured an act of vandalism against a statue of the crucified Jesus Christ, CNN reports.
The footage shows that the figure of the Savior was taken down from the cross and turned upside down. In that position, an Israeli soldier struck the statue’s head with an object resembling a hammer or an axe. The incident provoked a sharp reaction among local residents and Christian communities in the region.
Deputy head of the Debel municipality Maroun Nassif told the media that what happened was a direct attack on religious values. “We certainly condemn this shameful act because it offends our religious feelings and is an attack on our sacred beliefs,” Nassif said.
Representatives of the Israel Defense Forces said they view the incident with “great severity.” In an official statement, the military said the soldier’s conduct was “wholly inconsistent with the values expected of its troops.”
The IDF’s Northern Command is conducting an internal investigation and has promised to take “appropriate measures” against those involved based on its findings. The Israeli side also expressed readiness to help the community restore the desecrated holy object.
The village of Debel is one of 55 localities in southern Lebanon currently under Israeli control. It is located about four miles west of the city of Bint Jbeil, which Israeli forces surrounded during an operation against Hezbollah strongholds.
Earlier, the UOJ wrote that Netanyahu had called Israel the only defender of Christians in the region.
