The Israeli army confirmed on Monday, April 20, that one of its soldiers is indeed seen in an image circulating on social media showing him hitting a statue of Jesus in the village of Debel, in southern Lebanon.
The scene was reportedly photographed in Debel, a Christian village near the Israeli border, as reported by Reuters on April 20. After opening an investigation on Sunday, the army stated on Telegram that “following an initial examination, it was established that this photograph shows a soldier of the Israeli forces on a mission in southern Lebanon.”
The online image appears to show a soldier using a hammer against a representation of the crucified Christ, already fallen from the cross. Reuters reports that the incident took place in the village of Debel. The local priest, Fadi Falfel, explained to the agency that the cross was part of a small family shrine in the garden of a house at the entrance of the village. He denounced “this desecration of our sacred symbols.”
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Facing the controversy, the Israeli army condemned the acts and indicated that an investigation was ongoing. Reuters also mentioned that they are working on restoring the statue. Meanwhile, Israel’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Gideon Saar, described the degradation of “a Christian religious symbol” as a “serious and shameful act” on X in the morning of Monday. “I welcome the army’s statement, which condemns the incident and has opened an investigation,” he added.
The Israeli Foreign Minister also assured that he was convinced that “severe measures will be taken against the perpetrators of this heinous act.” “We apologize for this incident and to all the Christians who have been hurt,” he added.
This incident occurs in a context of high tensions in southern Lebanon. Since March 2, Israel has been conducting a military campaign in this area after rocket fire from Hezbollah towards its territory. Debel is among the villages in southern Lebanon under the effective control of the Israeli army during the operations. A ceasefire negotiated with the support of the United States came into effect on Thursday between Israel and Lebanon, but according to the priest of Debel, residents are still facing significant restrictions on movement and a difficult humanitarian situation.
Published on April 20 at 12:20, by Noah Sdiri, 6medias
