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Photo shows Israeli soldier damaging Christ statue in Lebanon and military says it's investigating
By Zeena Saifi and Oren Liebermann
The Israeli military has opened an investigation after a photo was shared on social media showing an Israeli soldier damaging a statue of a crucified Jesus Christ in southern Lebanon.
Obtained by CNN/X
The Israeli military has opened an investigation after a photo was shared on social media showing an Israeli soldier damaging a statue of a crucified Jesus Christ in southern Lebanon.
The photo, taken in the predominantly Christian village of Debel, shows the figure of Christ leaning against the cross. The figure appears upside down, removed from the cross. The picture, posted on Sunday, shows an Israeli soldier seemingly hitting the head of the figure with a hammer or ax.
“We certainly condemn this shameful act because it offends our religious feelings and is an attack on our sacred beliefs,” Maroun Nassif, the deputy head of the Debel municipality, told CNN.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said in a statement that it views the incident with “great severity,” and the soldier’s conduct is “wholly inconsistent with the values expected of its troops.” The IDF’s Northern Command is investigating the incident. “Appropriate measures will be taken against those involved in accordance with the findings,” the IDF said.
The IDF said it is working to assist the community in restoring the statue to its place.
Debel is one of 55 Lebanese towns and villages inside a swath of southern Lebanon currently occupied by Israeli forces. It is approximately four miles west of Bint Jbeil, a town which the IDF has surrounded as it tries to root out what it says is a Hezbollah stronghold there.

