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The Israeli military said on Tuesday that two soldiers would receive 30 days of military detention and be removed from combat duty over the destruction of a statue of Jesus in southern Lebanon.
The decision comes after widespread condemnation of a photo shared online showing an Israeli soldier using a sledgehammer to strike the head of a statue of a crucified Jesus that had fallen off a cross.
The sculpture was located in the Christian village of Debl in south Lebanon, near the border with Israel.
Publishing the conclusions of an inquiry into the incident, the military said “the soldier who damaged the Christian symbol and the soldier who photographed the act will be removed from combat duty and will receive 30 days of military detention.”
It said six additional soldiers who “were present at the scene and did not act to stop the incident or report it” had been summoned for “clarification discussions.”
Israel has conducted air strikes across Lebanon and invaded the country’s south after Hezbollah entered the Middle East war in support of its backer Iran on 2 March.
The fighting has killed more than 2,400 people and displaced more than 1 million, with the death toll continuing to rise even after a ceasefire came into effect last week as more bodies are found under the rubble.
Israel has lost 15 soldiers in the fighting.
“The inquiry determined that the soldiers’ conduct completely deviated from IDF orders and values,” the military statement said.
It added that “its operations in Lebanon are directed solely against the Hezbollah terrorist organisation and other terrorist groups and not against Lebanese civilians.”
In a post on X, the Israeli military said the damaged sculpture in Debl was replaced by troops “in full coordination with the local community,” sharing a photo of a new crucifix statue.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had said on Monday he was “stunned and saddened to learn that an IDF soldier damaged a Catholic religious icon in southern Lebanon,” vowing “harsh disciplinary action against the offender.”
Additional sources • AFP