Israel Probes Image of Soldier Allegedly Smashing Jesus Statue in South Lebanon

20/04/2026

TEL AVIV (AP), Apr 20: The Israeli army said on Sunday it is examining the authenticity of a social media image that appears to show a soldier in southern Lebanon hitting a statue of Jesus Christ with a hammer.

Military spokesman Nadav Shoshani said on X that the army “is currently examining the reliability of the photograph.”

“If this is indeed a real, recent picture, these actions do not align with the IDF’s values and the behavior expected of IDF soldiers,” he said, adding that the incident would be investigated “thoroughly and in depth,” with further steps taken if necessary.

The image appears to show a soldier using a sledgehammer to strike the head of a statue depicting the crucified Jesus after it had fallen from a cross.

Arab media reports suggested the statue was located in the Christian village of Debl near the Israeli border. Local authorities told Agence France-Presse the statue is in the village but said they could not confirm whether it had been damaged.

Tensions along the Lebanon-Israel frontier have escalated since early March, when the Iran-backed group Hezbollah launched rockets toward Israel in support of Iran. Israel responded with widespread strikes and a ground incursion into southern Lebanon.